Villa of Sette Bassi

The complex of the so-called Villa of Sette Bassi is located on via Tuscolana, near the intersection with via delle Capannelle, from which you can see the most impressive remains: the entrance is located at the end of a long tree-lined avenue which leads to to the site. It is one of the largest of the villas in the Roman suburbs, second only to that of the Quintili by extension.

The name comes from the medieval toponym "Sette Bassi" referring to Settimio Basso, Prefect of Rome at the time of Septimius Severus (193-211 AD) and probable owner of the villa.

Following the typical scheme of the suburban villas of Rome, the complex's environments develop around a large hippodrome-garden: it includes the residential areas originally decorated with polychrome marble and mosaics, the agricultural part, a temple, an aqueduct and cisterns for the water supply of the residence.

The latter stands on a plateau and is composed of three contiguous bodies.

The first nucleus, built in bricks, dates back to the beginning of the reign of Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD) and consists of a series of rooms that overlooked the vast peristyle-garden, now completely disappeared. A large living room, a room with a rectangular niche and a room with a heating system (hypocaustum) are still preserved.

The second nucleus of rooms, built in 140-150 AD, consists of staterooms and sumptuous bedrooms (cubicula), as well as a balcony with windows and a semicircular belvedere with columns.

Finally, the third nucleus, built at the end of Antoninus Pius' reign, had representative functions and includes huge multi-storey rooms, baths and living rooms. This constitutes the bottom side of a large peristyle-garden, 320 meters long and limited by a long artificial terrace, on which there is a cryptoporticus which must have contained within it pools of water, avenues, ornamental buildings, statues, fountains.

The complex is owned by the Appia Antica Archaeological Park, which recently carried out a series of conservation and safety measures in the area.

Photo credits: Beni Culturali official site