Triapsidal triclinium

The apotheosis of Hercules

It has always been believed that the northern apse of the triclinium depicted the apotheosis of Hercules , the moment following his death when the hero was welcomed among the gods of Olympus.According to the theories of some scholars, the apotheosis of Hercules is linked to the “divine imperial majesty” celebrated during the Tetrarchy . Jupiter would refer to the figure of Diocletian , commonly known as “Iovius”, while Maximian , who took the nickname “Herculius”, is identified with the demigod, now an immortal, among the other deities.
However, recent studies have shown that it is actually the capture of Marsyas, with the pardalis knotted around his neck,

by two satyrs placed at his sides and recognisable by the panther skin loincloth.

The left satyr holds Marsyas by one arm with a coiled lasso while the other satyr grabs his head crowned with pine needles.The figure crouching to the left of the apse among the bushes must be the Scythian who will skin him, while the character with a crown of leaves on the other side of the scene is Olympus, pupil of Marsyas. The pine tree depicted in the centre behind the characters is the tree from which the flayed Marsyas will be hung.

Banquets and panegyrics enlivened the vast hall, against the background of a floor mosaic celebrating the feats of Hercules

The apotheosis of Hercules

The senses tell the room in the private apartment known as “small hunt”

The senses tell the Tri-Apsed Triclinium

A hidden meaning

A small room represents one of the activities of the thermal bath route

Semi-public rooms

Outdoor breakfast

An individual who has attracted the attention of scholars

The paths of virus, a reflection of the Dominus

A view of the race from the imperial gallery

The senses tell the Quadrangular Peristyle

The main nuclei of the Domus

The Latifundium

The possible celebration of a solemn event

A large colonnaded portico, a place of connection between the rooms

The prestige of the dominus is revealed through the wall frescoes

High-ranking characters depicted in the mosaics of the apsidal niches of the frigidarium

A small room used as a privileged entrance to the baths

A royal room housed the Dominus during his audiences

The realistic depiction of a spa procession with a high-ranking female figure

An organic microcosm: the structure of the villa

The senses tell the frigidarium

The marble from the regions of the empire to decorate the basilica

The protagonists of the mosaic and the military themed frescoes

Is the profile of the dominus hidden among the scenes depicted in the mosaics?

The senses tell the Bi-Apsed room

An eloquent symbol: the signum

The capture of wild animals for the roman amphitheatre games

The senses tell the monumental entrance

The protagonists of the mosaics

Worship of the Lares

The golden age: hypotheses about the villa’s period of construction and clues

Form of greeting or ritual?

An official ceremony to welcome the Dominus

A dialogue between mythological and realistic scenes

The senses tell the bi-apsed ambulatory – Corridor of the “Great Hunt”

The senses tell the Sacellum of the Lares

A day of hunting at the villa

The catalogue of animals

The senses tell the Vestibule

The senses tell the massage room

The senses tell the private entrance to the spa

The senses tell the Basilica

The mosaics of the late antiquity residence

Solemn and majestic architecture to welcome a high-ranking commissioner

The public and private rooms of the villa

The rural sacrifice

A line of armed men for an important Dominus

Auspicious symbols and perhaps the initials of the commissioner’s name decorate the mosaic of the apsidal room

A chariot race, set in the circus Maximus of Rome, connects the villa to the city and centre of power

The astral interpretation of the mosaic

The late antiquity residence: locus amoenus and centre of administrative activities in the heart of Sicily

A small room embellished with marble

The mansio of Philosophiana. A stopping place