Villa of the Quintili

Located at the fifth mile of the Via Appia Antica, the Villa dei Quintili, the largest residential complex in the suburb of Rome, is part of the Archaeological Park of Appia Antica.

Thanks to the discovery of a lead pipe bearing the name of the owners, it is certain that the complex belonged to the brothers Sesto Quintilio Condiano and Sesto Quintilio Valerio Massimo, members of a senatorial family and consuls in 151 AD.

In 182-183 AD, the Quintilii were killed by Emperor Commodus for plotting a conspiracy against him, so the residence on the Appian Way was confiscated and became imperial property.
Since then, the same Commodus and other emperors after him lived in the villa. Evidence of their presence can be seen in the grandeur of the architecture, in the richness of the sculptural decorations, and in the refinement of the wall coverings and floors in colored marble slabs, still beautifully preserved.

Originally, you could access the Villa from the Appia Antica, through a large porch garden endowed with a monumental nymphaeum, then transformed into a fortress in the Middle Ages.
Beyond the garden, there is the main nucleus that develops on the hill with a series of courtyards and rooms of representation, a large thermal bath, buildings for spectacles, and rooms of the private residence overlooking the surrounding valley.

In the modern farmhouse, there is an Antiquarium that preserves sculptural and architectural pieces of great value found during the excavations.

Photos: Archivio Parco Archeologico Appia Antica - MIC