And eventually, it was discovered that beneath the Amarone vineyards, a treasure of equal value was hidden: a Roman villa, embellished with mosaics, also equipped with thermal facilities. It was discovered last year, in Negrar di Valpolicella, in the province of Verona. Then last week, another appearance: magnificent mosaics with bird figures inscribed in medallions and a mosaic of a basket of pomegranates resurfaced among the rows of vines. The discoveries lead archaeologists to say that this may be one of Italy’s most important finds from this era. Additionally, the size of the domus may be far more extensive than initially assumed.
The excavation, which now measures about 80 meters by 35, has uncovered less than half of the complex dating indicatively to the end of the third century AD, the extent of which is now estimated at between 3,000 and 5,000 square meters. The Art Newspaper reports that the mosaics unearthed last week, according to initial reconstructions, would have covered the perimeter portico of the 400-square-meter courtyard pertaining to the residential part of the villa. Their tesserae, composed of local marble, glass paste colored with copper or iron, and terracotta, have perfectly preserved colors.
“The courtyard with garden must have been elegant,” Gianni de Zuccato, an archaeologist official of the Verona Superintendency, explained to the Art Newspaper. “According to the fragments of painted plaster found that suggest the existence of brightly colored frescoed walls and a perspective coffered ceiling similar to that of the Pantheon in Rome. A stamp traces back the property to the gens Valeria, to the name of Lucius Valerius: an unknown character; nevertheless, his name recurs in other Veronese archaeological sites.”
The mosaics were found on the land of Giuliano Franchini of the eponymous farm and winery, who purchased the adjacent land, giving up the vines that were already growing to allocate it for research. However, more money is needed to continue the excavations: another 100,000 euros, to be exact, to continue this part of the excavation campaign. The 40 thousand euros made available by the Bacino Imbrifero Montano dell’Adige, thanks to the intervention of the Municipality of Negrar, will be exhausted in a few days.
While waiting for the response from the MiC, the Verona Superintendency has applied for funding for a total of 1 million 200 thousand euros as part of the extraordinary planning for the current three-year period provided by Law 190. The Superintendency’s appeal goes to private individuals.
