Cool Finds

Authorities Investigated Reports of an Illegal Excavation in Rome. Then, They Stumbled Upon an Ancient Villa Adorned With Mosaics

In the second century C.E., Roman emperors such as Marcus Aurelius and Antoninus Pius frequented the area where the residence was found

Meilan Solly | Senior Associate Digital Editor, History

June 22, 2026 1:58 p.m.

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In mid-February, residents of Castel di Guido, a village on the outskirts of Rome, notified police of unusual activity taking place nearby. Locals had spotted people digging at night, seemingly without authorization, a spokesperson for the Carabinieri Art Squad tells CNN’s Barbie Latza Nadeau. When authorities investigated the site, they realized that looters had used a backhoe to access an underground cavern protected by fencing. Archaeologists jumped into action to prevent further damage—and soon discovered a well-preserved set of ruins that may have been visited by Roman emperors.

“Thanks to the local report and prompt intervention, it was possible to identify part of a large, previously unknown imperial-period villa and uncover a splendid array of decorations,” Alessia Contino, an archaeologist with the Special Superintendency of Rome, says in a statement, per a translation by the Independent’s Vishwam Sankaran.

Emergency excavations revealed the ancient structure’s entrance hall, which featured a central impluvium, or marble basin at the center of the room, and a mosaic floor adorned with botanical and geometric designs. The atrium’s back wall was once decorated with a colorful fresco, but only the lower section of the artwork, rendered in red plaster, survives today.

Three of the four rooms surrounding the entrance hall still boast floor mosaics with a variety of patterns. One room has waterproof flooring that indicates that it may have been used for agricultural activities.

A highlight of the finds is a 31.5-inch-tall statue of a bearded man, perhaps Silvanus, the Roman god of the countryside, or Silenus, a rustic god of wine-making and drunkenness. According to a separate statement, the figure is dressed in a tunic, with a basket slung over his shoulder. He may have once held a small animal in his arm.

The lavish nature of the villa, which was probably built in the first half of the first century C.E., suggests that its owners were Roman aristocrats or even members of the imperial family. In ancient times, the area was home to Lorium, a village described by Encyclopedia Britannica as “a favorite haunt” of Marcus Aurelius, who ruled over the Roman Empire between 161 and 180. Marcus’ predecessor, Antoninus Pius, also spent time in Lorium, even building a villa there. Antoninus’ ancestors and extended family had lived in the vicinity for decades, settling there no later than 86.

Archaeologists speculate that the villa was abandoned around the third century, when Lorium’s imperial residents started vacating the area. To piece together a more precise timeline, researchers will document all of the artifacts recovered from the site.

The newly discovered villa isn’t the only ornate residence identified near Castel di Guido as a result of illegal excavations. As the statement notes, these digs often destroy valuable archaeological evidence while inadvertently offering experts an opportunity to uncover more of the region’s history.

The site “is another important piece of the puzzle, opening up new perspectives for understanding and preserving our history-rich territory,” Contino says in the statement, per Live Science’s Kristina Killgrove.

Meilan Solly | Read More

Meilan Solly is a senior associate digital editor at Smithsonian magazine, where she oversees the online history section. Solly's specialties are Tudor England, medieval Europe and World War II.