Excavation shows facility included luxurious dining rooms with views of fountains that gushed with wine
Of all the Roman ruins that populate what is now a pleasant landscape of pine trees and meadows, under the distant gaze of the Alban Hills, the Villa of the Quintilii is perhaps the most impressive – almost a city in miniature, covering up to 24 hectares.
The facility included a series of luxurious dining rooms with a view on to fountains gushing with young wine. There were also marble-lined treading areas where enslaved workers would stamp down the newly harvested fruit, while the emperor perhaps looked on as he feasted with his retinue. The discovery of the ancient Roman winery came by chance, when archaeologists from the Italian ministry of culture were trying to find one of the starting posts for the villa’s arena. The chariot-racing track was built by the emperor Commodus, who reigned from AD177-192. The later winery, it turned out, had been built over one of these starting gates.Photograph: Stefano Castellani
At the villa, which is open to the public, Dodd pointed out the recently excavated rectangular wine-treading areas. The grape must, having cascaded out of the fountains, then flowed along open channels into vast ceramicor storage jars, set into the ground – a standard winemaking technique in ancient Rome, since they created a stable microenvironment in which fermentation would take place.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Aston Villa 3-0 Newcastle United: Premier League – as it happenedMinute-by-minute report: Ollie Watkins scored two and created the other as Aston Villa swatted their visitors aside with a performance of collective and individual excellence
Read more »
Aston Villa v Chelsea: Women’s FA Cup semi-final – liveMinute-by-minute report: Can Emma Hayes’ side stay on track for a third straight FA Cup triumph? Join Daniel Harris
Read more »
‘That’s why she’s the best in the world’: Kerr strikes again to send Chelsea into FA Cup finalBeaten Aston Villa manager Carla Ward was full of praise for the Matildas star, who scored the only goal of the game to seal victory for Chelsea in the semi-final.
Read more »
Sam Kerr heads Chelsea into FA Cup final against Manchester UnitedOnce again the Blues have Sam Kerr to thank for their victory, with the Matildas captain scoring the only goal of their FA Cup semifinal against Aston Villa.
Read more »
Man found dead eaten by bed bugs in Atlanta jail, lawyer saysFamily of Lashawn Thompson call for criminal investigation after his death in custody in filthy jail cell
Read more »
Five bodies, wreckage found in search for missing Japanese Black Hawk helicopterJapan's army finds five bodies and wreckage during a deep-sea search for crew on board a Black Hawk helicopter that disappeared from radar earlier this month, an army spokesman says.
Read more »