ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF BULLA REGIA

Three quarters of the Bulla Regia site is still buried, but the features that have been uncovered already really justify a visit. Excavations are still in progress.

Be prepared to be offered the assistance of a guide, which may be necessary to appreciate the full beauty of the site.

The visit usually begins with the immense Julia Memmia baths, with their interesting mosaics; they were part of a wealthy patrician villa, named after its owner. Although the overall layout is clearly visible, the complex is much less well preserved than the theater to the east, which is rather modest in size, but has most of its tiers intact and is still in use today. It is located behind a large square, near a temple dedicated to Isis. Returning to the western part, above the baths, the tour heads north, passing the ruins of buildings from various periods: a small Byzantine fortress, two Christian basilicas from the intermediate period (^6th-7th centuries).

It's at the necropolis that we discover the most original part of the site: underground villas, built by the Romans not for protection, but to take advantage of the coolness of the earth. Three villas are worth visiting: the House of the Hunt, whose well-preserved open-air atrium features a gallery of colonnades leading to the underground halls and chambers, where superb mosaics have been discovered; the House of Venus Marine, the most northerly, also remarkable for the well-preserved quality of its mosaics, notably the Coronation of Venus mosaic; and the House of Fishing, to the east, more modest and in relatively good condition. All three buildings bear witness to the genius of Roman architectural engineers who knew how to make the best use of space and materials, perfecting aeration and support, as shown by the groin vault in the Maison de la Chasse.

The village center was located to the east, towards the theater. It included the forum, the capitol, of which nothing remains, and a temple dedicated to Apollo. One exits through the theater and the thermal baths. Opposite the entrance is a small museum with two rooms containing works of art, sculptures, coins and a tomb. Unfortunately, as is the case with many archaeological sites, the rarest pieces, particularly the sculptures, have been moved to the Bardo Museum in Tunis.