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New excavations near Rome show that wealthy Romans lived in even more luxury and opulence than previously thought. A vast cellar has been discovered in the ruins of the Villa dei Quintili, southeast of the Italian capital.
The cellar consisted of several parts. For example, there were lined barrels in which slaves would have crushed the grapes. The crushed grapes were then transported to two mechanical presses located nearby.
From these presses the wine flowed towards five fountains. There were dining rooms overlooking these fountains where drink flowed. From the fountains, the wine ended up in special jars to ferment there.
According to archaeologists, the cellar was widely used during the celebrations of the Roman emperor. The emperor was not only concerned with wine and the celebrations themselves, but also with the spectacle of wine production.
Villa dei Quintili, located just outside Rome, is a miniature city with an area of 24 hectares. The villa was built in the 2nd century AD. There was a private theatre, a chariot racing arena and a luxurious bath complex with marble walls and floors.
The cellar was found by chance. Archaeologists from the Italian Ministry of Culture wanted to investigate the villa’s chariot racetrack further. But during the excavations, it turned out that the cellar had been built above the starting gates of the racecourse.
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