In a previously discovered ancient Roman villa underneath the town of Positano, on the Amalfi Coast, further excavations have unveiled more treasures. Brilliantly colored frescoes, an extraordinary safe, part of the home’s white mosaic floor, and bronze furnishings reveal that the owners were wealthy and possibly nobles – especially given that the safe consisted of a wooden closet with iron reinforcements and a solid-iron door.
The frescoes (see Swide.com for great photos), some of which were in what was likely a main room with columns, depict various animals (swans, goats, sea horses and peacocks), the Greek god Dionysus, and grapevines, all painted in vibrant reds, golden yellows, blues, and greens. Bronze vessels found include pitchers, cups and a situla, an ornamented bucket-like vessel with a handle.
The villa, located beneath the crypt of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Positano, was preserved in the infamous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., which also obliterated the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. What became of its inhabitants is unknown, however, as archaeologists haven’t yet found their remains among the ruins. As excavations on the villa are still continuing, it will be exciting to hear if archaeologists unearth any additional treasures from the home.
By Kathy McCabe
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