The mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina, between myth and reality

Introduction to the route

The route winds through a number of rooms in the late antiquity residence, discovering its characteristics and evocative themes present in the mosaic decoration.
The different rooms are characterised by the narration of various mythological events, many of which are linked to the Dionysian theme; a reference that highlights a relationship with the presence of vast cultivations of grapevines, in the latifundium of the Villa, a hypothesis confirmed by recent scientific investigations.
Myth is a theme widely seen in the depictions present in the mosaic ornaments, with erudite and refined references for the topics dealt with, alongside generic scenes depicting particular aspects of Roman life, found both in the representation of landscapes and in aspects of everyday life with a meticulous reproduction of detail found in the clothing and attributes of a number of figures.

A dignified setting dedicated to the myth of Arion

Date Clues

The room of the seasons

The Peristyle of the Villa

The Latifundium

The Mansio, a stopping place

A decoration that marks time

The layout of the rooms

A room dedicated to the sea

Pars Fructuaria e Pars Rustica

The Mansio of Sophiana

The public rooms of the Villa

The myth of Orpheus

A large banquet hall

The composition of the spaces