Roman Maritime Villas: Rediscovering Architecture in Southern Latium and its Wider Context

This book offers a comprehensive survey of Roman maritime villas along the Tyrrhenian coast of southern Latium, tracing their architectural evolution and construction methods from the 2nd century BC to the 3rd century AD. It uses an interdisciplinary approach combining archival research, field surveys, and archaeological and historiographical analysis. It analyses 109 villa sites across 12 ancient towns' territories, from Ardea to Sinuessa, offering a fresher perspective on the key role played by this region in the evolution of the maritime villa typology. The chronological assessment of this large sample reveals that the appearance of early maritime villas in southern Latium preceded that on the Bay of Naples. A careful examination of existing or identifiable structures has unveiled pioneering architectural innovations that are remarkable for their early dates and distinctiveness. The integration of various datasets into a unified analysis provides new interpretations of the architectural environment of coastal southern Latium and its broader implications for villa developments throughout the Mediterranean.