Roman Villa Orto Mosaico in Giarratana
The Roman Villa in the Orto Mosaico district is an archaeological site of high historical interest located in the territory of Giarratana.
The villa, dated to the 3rd century AD, represents an important testimony of the Roman domination in Sicily .
The Roman villa of Orto Mosaico was discovered in 1989 and since then several excavation campaigns have been carried out which have brought to light part of its structure: some rooms and several corridors. The villa is made up of lava stone walls of Monte Lauro, an ancient extinct underwater volcano.
From the remains found it is presumed that the Roman Villa was adorned with various statues, it is therefore believed that it belonged to an important noble family.
The most fascinating detail of the Roman Villa of Orto Mosaico are its splendid mosaics that make up the flooring and enrich parts of the walls. The mosaics are characterized by floral motifs and geometric figures often intertwined with each other.
Among the historical artifacts found in the site during the excavations of particular value are: a relief in marble depicting the goddess Aphrodite; the head of a female figure.
