Villa Romana del Casale

Located in the town of Piazza Armerina, this Roman villa has been listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2002. It’s known for expansive mosaics that were buried for centuries and are therefore among the world's best-preserved. The villa is believed to have been a country retreat for either a senator or even an emperor (there are theories it was owned by Diocletian co-emperor Marcus Aurelius Maximianus). Whoever the owner, the mosaics tell the story of a man with a fondness for mythology , hunting, his family and women (as seen in several erotic mosaics and a duo of bikini-clad ladies working out with weights, in a remarkably modern depiction). The colors are so vivid, they border on looking fake. The villa only reopened in 2013 after years of renovation and is a site not to be missed if you’re based in the Val di Noto or at Agrigento.

Driving Times

• Modica — Villa Romana: 1h45 min
• Noto — Villa Romana: 2h15 min