New excavations near Rome show that wealthy Romans lived in even more luxury and opulence than previously thought. An extensive winery has been found at the ruins of Villa dei Quintili southeast of the Italian capital.
The winery consisted of several parts. For example, there were lined barrels in which slaves would have crushed the grapes. The crushed grapes were then taken to two mechanical presses located nearby.
From those presses the wine flowed to five fountains. There were dining rooms overlooking those fountains where the drink flowed. From the fountains, the wine ended up in special jars to ferment there.
According to archaeologists, the winery was used extensively during celebrations for the Roman emperor. The emperor was not only concerned with the wine and the celebrations themselves, but also with the spectacle of wine production.
Villa dei Quintili, located just outside Rome, is a city in miniature with an area of 24 hectares. The villa was built in the second century AD. There was a private theater, a chariot racing arena and a luxurious bath complex with marble walls and floors.
The winery was found by chance. Archaeologists from the Italian Ministry of Culture wanted to study the villa’s chariot racetrack further. But during the excavations it turned out that the winery was built over the starting gates of the racecourse.
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