They renamed it the ‘Piazza Armerina della Calabria’, due to its mosaics which in terms of beauty and size are reminiscent of those in the province of Enna: in recent years, however, the Roman Villa of Casignana, in Locride, has begun to make its own name, transforming itself into a center of great tourist and cultural attraction.
The Villa, overlooking the Jasmine Riviera, reached its peak splendor in the 4th century AD when it covered an area of 5 thousand square metres. Today it represents one of the most important Roman complexes in Southern Italy with around fifty rooms brought to light, half of which have mosaic floors, and colored marble slabs on the walls coming from all parts of the empire.
Among the mosaics, the tondo stands out with the depiction of the Indian Triumph of Dionysus which represents a ‘unique’: the god is victorious, alone, on a chariot pulled by a pair of tigers.
Now the Villa in Contrada Palazzi aims to become one of the ‘Places of the Heart’ protected by the FAI: it currently occupies the tenth provisional place in the 13th edition of the census which will end in mid-December, with almost 3 thousand votes. But above all it is at the center of many initiatives for its valorization: thanks to a collaboration with the University of South Florida, a very high precision three-dimensional digital mapping is planned through laser scanners, terrestrial photogrammetry, drone surveys and 360 degree immersive tours.
Open to visits without reservation every day in summer and with an average of 10 thousand visitors per year, the Villa south of Locri is also transforming into a permanent space for cultural events, territorial promotion and initiatives dedicated to the identity excellence of Calabria. The municipality has nominated it to host the International Forum of Roman Villas and aims to make it an international center for research, cultural dialogue and valorisation of the ancient Mediterranean.