ROMAN VILLA DELS MUNTS

This impressive Roman villa, known as Els Munts, is one of the most important in terms of size and state of preservation in the entire Iberian Peninsula. Built in the first century A.D. and located 12 km from Tarraco, the ancient Tarragona, it was the residence of the Roman governor Valerius Avitus Caius and his wife Faustina. At that time, Tarraco was a strategic base for the Roman Empire, and both military troops and patricians passed through this Mediterranean colony in great numbers, which certainly explains the number of rooms in the villa's main building. The location of Els Munts was not by chance: it was in the heart of a fertile valley, an essential condition for the agricultural activities that were central to the economic development of Rome at the time, but also very close to the Via Augusta, with a clear view of the sea. Rediscovered in 1967, the Archaeological Museum of Tarragona then sends teams of researchers to conduct excavations that will bring to light a Roman site of magnitude: the Domus with corridors and walls lined with mosaics surprisingly well preserved, the gardens, but also the baths and bathrooms on the south side, and opposite several cisterns designed to store drinking water. Around 260-270 AD, the entire property was ravaged by fire, forcing the residents to restore the villa without ever succeeding in restoring its former splendor: the main residence ceased to be inhabited and was converted into a wine and oil press. From the 6th to the 17th century, a period of total abandonment followed, leaving the place at the mercy of looting. It is only in the 16th century that a document mentions again the vestiges of a Roman villa in this precise place. It was not until the 20th century that interest in the region's ancient heritage resurfaced, prompting archaeologists to carry out major excavation campaigns: in 1983 the area currently covered by the site was delimited and closed to the public, in 1995-1996 precious architectural elements were discovered (statues, wall paintings, decorative objects, etc.), and in 2004-2005 new excavations uncovered the underground corridor linking the main building to the baths in the south wing. Since 2000, the villa of Els Munts is part of the archaeological complex of Tarragona, among other sites. Whether or not you are a fan of ancient history, the place is worth a look.