[SunkenCiv]

Mosaic floor in a Roman villa near Vizzini, Sicily

Johannes Bergemann

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

Thank-you for posting another great story!

Keep up the good work.

[Larry Lucido]

Sicily? I wonder if George Patton passed through there in an earlier life?

[Rockingham]

This looks like a settlement of what Pliny the Elder called "villa urbana," convenient suburban getaways for the wealthy from the bustle and demands of town and city life. One can imagine a collection of such villas and nearby supporting businesses like taverns and food vendors.

The residents would of course know each other through ties of family, friendship, and business, and they would enjoy visits, meals, and small parties back and forth from one villa to another. That is how Italians and Provencal French live in the countryside today, envied by all who have even a glimpse of such life.

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

Thanks, SunkenCiv!