Roman Domus Discovery Opens as Archaeological Box in Luxury Housing Complex

A 2nd-century AD Roman domus discovered in 2015 during renovations of a BNP-Paribas Real Estate property on Rome's Aventine Hill will open to the public on May 7 as the 'Scatola Archeologica' (Archaeological Box), an archaeological site integrated into a luxury residential complex called Domus Aventino. The find emerged during seismic retrofitting work, revealing mosaics, structures, and materials spanning from the 8th century BC to the 3rd century AD, including a guard tower from the 6th-3rd centuries BC and a domus developed from the mid-2nd century BC, marking the area's shift from military to residential use. The project is a collaboration between BNP-Paribas Real Estate and the Soprintendenza Speciale di Roma. The multimedia installation, curated by Piero Angela and Paco Lanciano, features videomapping and projections telling the site's layered history, with guided tours by Cooperativa Archeologia. The residential complex redevelops three former BNL buildings, originally designed in the 1950s by engineer Cesare Pascoletti, collaborator of architect Piacentini, with new architecture by Studio Tamburini and interiors by Studio Marco Piva.