Antequera to open Roman villa to public with mosaics comparable to those of Mérida

Cultural heritage ·
The first-century Villa de la Estación, which was only discovered in 1998, was owned by a rich family that traded oil with Rome

Antonio J Guerrero

Antequera

Tuesday, 28 March 2023, 18:03

Antequera town hall has announced that its extensive cultural offer will be expanded this summer with the opening to the public of a first-century Roman villa. Villa de la Estación, which was discovered in 1998, was owned by a rich family that traded oil with Rome. They built the villa as a private residence, which boasted baths, fountains and spectacular gardens, along with an intricate mosaic floor, most of which has been perfectly preserved.

The project had an investment of 1.2 million euros, of which, 60 per cent has been contributed by the government, while the remainder has been financed by the local council.

The town hall said that the villa, an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), is considered one of the most important in Bética, with mosaic dimensions only comparable to those of Mérida.

The municipal archaeologist, Manuel Romero, explained that it is in a suburban area, which allowed residents to be close to the Roman city, enabling them to participate in public life, and also close to where they worked in the olive groves.

Once the project is finished, the town hall will furnish the area with gardens and water features similar to those it had 2,000 years ago.

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Antequera to open Roman villa to public with mosaics comparable to those of Mérida

Cultural heritage · The first-century Villa de la Estación, which was only discovered in 1998, was owned by a rich family that traded oil with Rome

Cultural heritage ·
The first-century Villa de la Estación, which was only discovered in 1998, was owned by a rich family that traded oil with Rome