Since 2010 the Superintendence has renewed the agreement with the GAR for the prosecution of the excavation and the total discovery of the entire complex. The works, resumed by the Settore Lazio Antico of GAR, are still going on in the AREA OF PRODUCTION AND SERVICE of the Villa. A publication by the Superintendence area official, Dr. Daniela Rossi, will be edited soon.

The history of the Villa and its phases of life This is one of the most important archaeological discoveries. This STAMPED SHINGLE has allowed us to identify the family who lived in this house from the beginning. We also know, from ancient sources, that the family of Coeli was related to the Imperial court, but they had wealthy ascendants already involved in politics from the II century b.C. So this is a BRICK STAMP, or a BRAND with the name of the owner of the villa imprinted on a brick The OWNER L(UCIUS) COELIUS NICEF(OROS)

The most ancient walls of the villa were built with a technique called opus incertum, starting from the III century b.C. It consisted in using, as external surface, little blocks of stone (in tuff or limestone) with irregular shape, linked together with cement. Instead the nucleus of the wall was in opus caementicium : a crushed stones masonry linked with cement) What do we mean by OPUS INCERTUM? THE ROMAN CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

From the I century b.C. to the I century A.D. the walls were finished with regular rows in the form of pyramidal cubes (cubilia) disposed on the two faces of the wall. This technique is called opus reticulatum. The nucleus is always in opus caementicium. Villa of Colonnacce, Castel di Guido, Rome What do we mean by OPUS RETICULATUM?

The opus latericium, a work composed of regular rows of clay bricks, became the preponderant wall surface technique of the imperial age. The nucleus is always in opus caementicium Villa of Quintili, Rome What do we mean by OPUS LATERICIUM?

Installation of the bricks Shapes and sizes of the bricks used

A summary of the building techniques and the different floors of the Villa

A. Republican age (II- begin.I b.C) The first phase is documented by wall structures in OPUS INCERTUM, then incorporated into the foundations of the imperial villa, to which most of the quarters refer. 1. On the east and south side there is a wall with NICHES as substructure. 2. On the upper terrace there was a large rectangular CISTERN divided into two NAVES by a row of ARCHES and covered by a VAULT possibly supporting a garden. 3. The ATRIUM and the PERISTILIUM have been set in this stage. 4.The WINE PRESS (torcular) was established from the beginning. The history of the Villa and its phases of life The main entrance was from the North- west side, perhaps through the consular Aurelia street The vehicular access for refueling and production activities was on the south-east side

B. Augustan age (I century A.D.) The second step is an extension of the building and a renovation of the already existing rooms with walls in opus reticulatum. The Atrium is restored with the addition of two rooms on the North-East side and with the Tablinum (n 17) facing it, the Fauces and two Cubicula A. On the same side a room was created whose function remains uncertain, divided in two parts without floor and with a shaft near the center B. In front of this there is a wide space identified as the Doliarium for the great number of Dolia found therein. A B

What do we mean by the word SHAFT? Shaft refers to a vertical perforation of the ground, generally with circular shape, in order to reach underground water and capture it for drinking or irrigation Example of shaft being excavated, from Bologna

What do we mean by dolia and doliarium? Dolio refers to a big container with globular shape,wherein liquids, such as oil and wine and dry substances, such as legumes and wheat, were stored. Image of a warehouse space (doliarium) from Libya; we can see the compartments prepared for use as containers (dolia ) Example of dolio from Umbria

C. On the S-W side a terrace was created facing a garden, separated through hallways from peristilum and from a compartment of the thermal area, with Triclinii, Oecus, Viridarium, Exedrae and Cubiculum. D. On the northern side a rectangular cistern was built, divided in two parts by 4 arches. E. On the S-E side a thermal complex consisting of Frigidarium, Calidarium and Tepidarium was laid out. F. On the south part of the thermal complex the service and productive areas were developed, not yet totally investigated, except the Culina and the connected storage room. C D E B. Augustan age (I century A.D.)