Looters Uncover Roman Imperial Villa at Castel di Guido

A Roman imperial villa was discovered at Castel di Guido, 13 miles west of Rome, after illegal excavations alerted authorities. In February, Roman police informed Special Superintendent Daniela Porro of clandestine digging. Ministry of Culture officials and Carabinieri intervened, securing the site and revealing remains of a villa linked to the Antonine dynasty, where Hadrian, Antonius Pius, and Marcus Aurelius had ties. The villa, part of the ancient rest stop Lorium along the Via Aurelia, suffered significant damage from looters using a backhoe. Archaeologist Alessia Contino led experts who uncovered rooms with 1.5-meter-tall walls, floral and geometric mosaics, painted plaster, and an impluvium basin. Four rooms have mosaic floors and structures for productive activities. Artifacts include a broken marble statue of a bearded figure with a calf or piglet, possibly the god Silvanus. The villa likely belonged to an aristocrat connected to Lorium's imperial residents. The Special Superintendency will open the site for free ticketed tours on June 20.