Roman Maritime Villas: Rediscovering Architecture in Southern Latium and its Wider Context

Roberta Ferritto re-examines the Roman maritime villas of southern Latium, treating elite coastal residences as architectural complexes shaped by the sea, production and the particular landscapes of the Tyrrhenian coast. Detailed case studies reconsider buildings whose interpretation has often been fragmented by preservation and older excavation histories.

Ferritto surveys 109 villa sites in the territories of twelve ancient towns, from Ardea to Sinuessa, tracing construction from the second century BCE to the third century CE. Fishponds, harbour facilities and water-related installations reveal how shoreline residences could combine display, everyday living and commercial activity. Her chronology also challenges the familiar emphasis on the Bay of Naples, finding coastal villas and innovative building solutions in southern Latium at an earlier date.