Villa romana delle Grotte

The Roman Villa delle Grotte occupies a hillside above Portoferraio. Its remains spread across two terraces and include vaulted substructures, cisterns, bathing spaces and a residential area, offering evidence of changing uses during the Roman period.

Why it matters

Research has revised the interpretation of the site. A first phase, built around 40–30 BC, appears to have stored and distributed water, including supplies for ships. Near the end of the first century BC, the complex was transformed into an aristocratic residence during the Augustan age.

What to notice

The two terraces are supported by vaulted structures facing the sea, which gave the site its name. The earlier phase includes a three-room underground cistern; the later villa had a bathing area, mosaics, a colonnaded garden and a nymphaeum. A retaining wall of alternating dark green and white stone marks the terraced architecture.

Context and history

The residential complex was abandoned around the end of the first century AD. Parts of the perimeter were dismantled for an artillery battery during the conflict of 1799–1802. Archaeological excavations began in 1960, and the site has been studied by the University of Siena and other research groups since the 2010s.