Last step of our road trip in Sicily, Piazza Armerina. For lack of time the stop was not very long, but we wanted to visit the Roman city of Casale. This place had come back very regularly in our preparation for this northern Sicilian road trip. It was therefore imperative for us to discover the Roman villa of Casale.
The Roman Villa of Casale is, as its name suggests, a Roman villa built between 320 and 350 AD is located in the magnificent town of Piazza Armerina in central Sicily. This city conceals many monuments, mainly Roman ones which testify to its importance in the past.
The City was built for one of the most important figures of the Roman Empire at the time, probably a prefect of Rome.
It was in 1950, after extensive excavations, that the marvels of this Roman villa were discovered. More than 3500 square meters of mosaics of rare beauty are then brought to light. In a unique state of preservation, these mosaics bear witness to the wealth of the owner of the premises at the time. Indeed these mosaics tell many scenes of the daily life of this personality.
The result of incredible, extremely meticulous work, these mosaics have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage since 1997.
Schedules and rates
The Casale Roman villa is open every day, from 9 am to 19 pm from March to October and from 9 am to 17 pm from October to March.
Count 10 euros per person, 5 euros for people aged 18 to 25. Admission is free for those under 18. Parking will cost you 1 euro.
To visit the entire site, count about 2 hours if you like to take your time. The site is not very big and includes different rooms:
- Ambulacrum of the Great Hunt with a mosaic 60 meters long and 350 m² in area
- Palestra or Salon du Cirque: the mosaics represent the Circus Maximus of Rome.
- Dance Hall
- Hall of Seasons
- Little Hunt Room
- Children's fisherman's room
- Girls bedroom in bikinis
- Hall of the myth of Orpheus
- Room of the grape-pickers children
- Dining Room
- Bedroom of the mistress of the house: mosaic representing Arion
- Atrium or boudoir
The town of Piazza Armerina is located in the center of Sicily, access is not really easy, you will have to drive several kilometers on small winding roads. Indeed the city is surrounded by mountains and forests. The Roman villa of Casale is located outside the city, several kilometers from Piazza Armerina.
