Roman Villa del Casale (Piazza Armerina):Tour of Sicilian Mosaics
Description
Guided tour of the roman Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina town in Sicily, one of the most precious jewels left by the Roman civilization in Sicily. The villa, built in the III-IV a.d. it probably belonged to Valerio Massimiano, a powerful patrician of the empire. Since 1997 it has become a UNESCO world heritage, especially for the beauty of its mosaics, famous all over the world. The domus with its 48 rooms is built around the quadrangular peristyle which is accessed from the vestibule. The peristyle floor is entirely mosaic with drawings of European and African animals while the garden is enriched by a large fountain composed of three pools, covered in marble on the outside and in mosaic inside. Tour included the visit of the room with the ten girls in bikinis portrayed in various sports: throwing the disc, playing with the ball, exercises with weights and cross country and, later, the Basilica with the polychrome marble floors
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Roman Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina is an extraordinary Roman residence dating back to the 3rd–4th century AD, famous for its exceptionally well-preserved mosaics. The domus, with over 40 rooms, is organized around a quadrangular peristyle, while the garden is enriched with fountains and pools decorated with marble and mosaics. The villa is considered one of the most precious examples of Roman art and architecture and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(58)
Our visit was top notch. Stephania was an excellent guide. She explained everything and was response to questions. We never felt rushed or hurried. Highly recommend.
Amazing how the tiles and mosaics were preserved in this old house of Rich family. Images drawn by minimal mosaics depicting bikini women, hunters, mythological scenes. A very interesting and different attraction. A pity that there are several infiltrations in the rooms that the government is not repairing. I heard that the artisans were all from Tunisia
The villa is amazing. It is hard to believe it is so old and well preserved. Stefania was an excellent guide and made the experience so much more meaningful than it would have been on our own or with a group.
Fantastic mosaics rendering life-like forms with detailed shadows and facial shading, just like paint, but with 35 different marble colors.
Villa Romana del Casale is worth the effort to get to. Our guide Maria was excellent. Offering great insights and a good overview.
❤️
This roman villa - Villa Romana del Casale - covers a large area and all the rooms and mosaics are brilliantly preserved. It is a stunning example of a late-imperial Roman luxury villa and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mosaics cover some 3,500 square metres, with depictions of heroes and gods, scenes of hunting, games and everyday life. Parking on site, open every day from 9am - 6pm, 17 Euros per adult (as at September 2025). I would allow at least 2 hours to look round the site, if not more.
Fabulous tour. Having a private guide was expensive, but well worth it. The mosaics are absolutely amazing, and the guide was able to highlight things we would never have seen for ourselves. Highly recommend.
Stefania was an extremely knowledgeable and kind guide. We were 15 minutes early and she was there waiting. She started immediately since it was a private tour. It was really nice having just having Stefania to ourselves. It was more relaxing and intimate. We weren’t rushed around and she described every room, column and corner of Roma Villa del Casale. Amazing place to visit out in the middle of nowhere. We learned that in 300 AC a river used to run nearby and that’s why this wealthy Senator of the Roman Empire built this elaborate getaway.
Maria Grazie is a very good tour guide. However, she needs to slow down and give her tour guests a chance to process what she’s saying (which was extremely informative!), and enjoy the experience. She steamrolled thru what easily could have been been 3-4 tours worth of information (mostly about the mosaics). We were definitely interested in the mosaics. She NEVER mentioned that the house has running hot & cold water in the house. I missed so much of just enjoying the house & it’s antiquity b/c she LITERALLY NEVER STOPPED TALKING in a semi-manic manner! I finally just took pictures and ignored her so I could enjoy the whole experience. She IS the tour guide for mosaic affictionados, which is not everyone. Having said all that; she REALLY knows her stuff. As a teacher I am aware that often we become obsessed with getting all the material out there. People, especially adults maybe want a bit more time to enjoy, process, take photos, etc during the experience itself!
We had a fantastic tour with Stefania. First of all, she was very professional, touching base via WhatsApp the day before. Because she reached out, I had her contact info and was able to let her know we running a few minutes late. So helpful!! She was also extremely knowledgeable and her love of Villa Romanna came through the tour. She was fabulous!! The Villa left me speechless. Three people suggested that we see it so we changed our plans to accommodate a stop. I am so glad that we did. It was beautiful and Stefania’s explanations made the history so Interesting. Highly recommend!!
