Roman Villa of the Grottoes

ROMAN VILLA OF THE GROTTOES IN ELBA ISLAND

HOURS: From Easter to September 30 OPEN DAILY
Free Admission

In the Roman Ages, the Gulf of Portoferraio was the site of two villas used as vacation homes for wealthy Roman families. The ruins of another are visible near the Tower of Martello, next to the Archeological Museum of Portoferraio. The Villa of the Grottoes was constructed in the 1st century B.C. and was already abandoned by the 2nd century A.D.. From the 4th to 6th centuries, by then already in ruins, it was probably inhabited by hermit monks.

During the period between 1799-1802, Elba was the staging ground for conflicts between the French and the faithful military sectors of the Grand Duke of Tuscany helped by rebel Elbans and the British navy. In the course of these difficult years the walls of the perimeter of the villa were demolished to install a battery of siege cannons. The relics uncovered during digs in the 1960's are visible at the Archeological Museum of Linguella, in Portoferraio. Today we can visit the ruins of this ancient villa and see the remains of the walls, storerooms, service rooms and a large pool with a tepidarium.

THE ROMANS - THE MAGNIFICENT VILLAS OF THE PATRICIANS

The Romans and the art of living The noble Roman patricians enjoyed discovering delightful places in which to build magnificent villas whit sea views. Because of its beauty, three such residences were built on the island of Elba, in ideal positions for admiring the panorama. Two of these villas face the sheltered bay of portoferraio: the Villa della Linguella, at the end of the Darsena, had its own private aqueduct and was decorated whit beautiful mosaic floors. The Villa was enlarged several times between the 16th century military structures. The Villa delle Grotte, 1st century B.C., is very large and complex, whit gardens descending on various levels down to the sea, where the villa had its own private landing stage. Here it is possible to admire opus reticolatum walls and sections of mosaic. The swimming pool, whit its water heating structures, is still visible. A votive altar, dedicated to Hercules, preserved at the archeological museum in Portoferraio probably came from here. The Villa di cavo, from the 1st-2nd century A.D., was built on the eastern side of the island on sloping terraces and had mosaic flooring. Part of the villa is contained within more recent constructions but it is still possible to see the old water pipeline connected to a nearby hill. In addition to iron, the Romans also exploited the quarries offering valuable granite which was used to build the Pantheon and the Colosseum. Around the quarries and near the landing stages, the remains of artifacts such as the colums at Seccheto and a smal ship at Cavoli, possibily fromthe Christian era, still testify to these activities.

More information of Elba Island