Ville romane (Villa Grande e Villa Piccola) sotto la Basilica di San Sebastiano

These are two buildings from the Roman era discovered in 1915-1916 beneath the Basilica of San Sebastiano, traditionally known as Villa Grande (2nd century AD) and Villa Piccola (4th century AD). Both have extraordinary frescoes.

Of the larger Villa Grande, five rooms with interesting mosaic floors and rich wall coverings remain almost intact. The largest room of the building is frescoed with a remarkable architectural pattern, which was recently restored by the Special Superintendence for the Colosseum, the National Roman Museum and the Archaeological Area of Rome. The centrepiece of the decorative system is a seascape painted around the middle of the 2nd century AD, in an excellent state of preservation.

In the nearby Villa Piccola one can admire a decoration painted in 'linear style', with fine decorative motifs enclosed in red and green bands on a white background.