The Roman Villa of Realmonte is a rustic villa dating back to the first century A.D. located in the beach of Punta Piccola, in the territory of Realmonte, Italian town in the province of Agrigento in Sicily.
Description
The villa was discovered in the early twentieth century. Located on the beach of Punta Piccola, a few kilometers from the town of Realmonte and the Scala dei Turchi, the structure is composed around all'impluvium, located in the central courtyard adorned with columns. It is organized around the various rooms, some with waterproof floor with inlaid marble, others with polychrome mosaics depicting scenes and sea gods. The spa complex within the villa testifies to the wealthy economic status of its owners.
The villa in Roman times was essentially a country house. Developed in Italy in particular starting from the late Republican, it stood as a manor house in the center of a complex of buildings and land used for agricultural production or as a place to rest (otium) from activities and affairs (negotium) practiced in the city.
According to Pliny the Elder and Vitruvius there were two types of villas: the urban villa, which was a country house that could easily be reached from Rome (or another city) for a night or two, and the villa rustica, the residence with farm functions permanently occupied by the servants or slaves who worked for the bosses.
from wikipedia
