The context - the Villa

The paths of virus, a reflection of the Dominus

Moving through the rooms of the late antiquity residence is like going on a journey that, through the realistic or mythical protagonist figures of the mosaics, tackles the theme of virtus .
Mythology and reality intertwine to represent the manifestation of power and culture of a figure who has left nothing to chance but has wanted, rather, to relate some spaces with subjects that became a symbol of his power and values.This is how the corridor of the “great hunt” is transformed into a visual representation of the use of cunning used to capture exotic animals destined for the Circus Maximus , while the subject of the room of the “small hunt”, which is linked to the animal figures of the peristyle and the ovoid peristyle , represents victory over land animals through the use of force.The concept of virtus still linked to cunning is present in the antechamber of the alcoved cubiculum of the south main apartment that represents the mythical struggle between Eros and Pan. The god of love is victorious, symbolising the superiority of sentiment over the bestial force personified by Pan.
The fight between the two gods therefore evokes a double meaning: the clash and the victory of love over instinct and cunning over brute force. The challenge between Eros and Pan is closely related to the theme of Ulysses and Polyphemus in the antechamber of the alcoved cubiculum in the north main apartment.

The scene enclosed in the mosaic hides a metaphorical meaning: Ulysses represents human cunning that overwhelms the bestiality of the monster Polyphemus, who cannot moderate his greed, thus marking his downfall. These examples are joined by the depictions, once again linked to the myth of Orpheus and Arion , who took victory over the animals of the land and sea thanks to the sweet sound of music, knowledge of which was linked to wisdom.The mosaic of the triapsidal triclinium represents humankind’s victory over its passions through the figure of Hercules , who defeats beasts and monsters.

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

The catalogue of animals

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

The senses tell the massage room

The prestige of the dominus is revealed through the wall frescoes

An eloquent symbol: the signum

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

The apotheosis of Hercules

The possible celebration of a solemn event

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

An official ceremony to welcome the Dominus

The senses tell the private entrance to the spa

The astral interpretation of the mosaic

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

Outdoor breakfast

An organic microcosm: the structure of the villa

A day of hunting at the villa

The public and private rooms of the villa

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

The protagonists of the mosaics

The main nuclei of the Domus

A dialogue between mythological and realistic scenes

The senses tell the frigidarium

The mosaics of the late antiquity residence

An individual who has attracted the attention of scholars

The senses tell the Sacellum of the Lares

A royal room housed the Dominus during his audiences

The senses tell the Tri-Apsed Triclinium

A small room used as a privileged entrance to the baths

The senses tell the Quadrangular Peristyle

A line of armed men for an important Dominus

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

A hidden meaning

The senses tell the Vestibule

The mansio of Philosophiana. A stopping place

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

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

The senses tell the Bi-Apsed room

A view of the race from the imperial gallery

Form of greeting or ritual?

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

Semi-public rooms

A small room embellished with marble

The protagonists of the mosaic and the military themed frescoes

Solemn and majestic architecture to welcome a high-ranking commissioner

The senses tell the monumental entrance

Worship of the Lares

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

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

The rural sacrifice

The senses tell the Basilica

The capture of wild animals for the roman amphitheatre games

The Latifundium

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

The paths of virus, a reflection of the Dominus