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Roman fire brigade barracks uncovered at Villa Celimontana, near the Colosseum
Archaeologists working on PNRR‑funded consolidation of the historic wall at Villa Celimontana on Rome’s Caelian Hill uncovered a second‑century building decorated with high‑quality mosaics, frescoes and marble opus sectile. Eight rooms were identified; five have been fully excavated, revealing a marine‑themed mosaic with a dolphin, fish, lobster and crab surrounding a two‑handled vase, and a painted ceiling with large red and blue circles.
The Rome archaeological office suggests the structure may have been part of the barracks of the V Cohort of the Vigiles, the imperial fire‑fighting and night‑watch corps established by Augustus. An alternative hypothesis is that the building was a patrician domus. Confirmation would help reassess the extent of one of the most important military‑type complexes of imperial Rome. The excavations were financed by EU post‑COVID recovery funds, and further study of the materials is planned to determine the building’s exact function.
Entities
Caelian Hill · EU post‑COVID recovery fund · European Union · Fifth Cohort of the Vigiles · Ostia (ancient port of Rome) · Roman archaeological superintendency · Rome · Vigiles (ancient Roman fire brigade) · Vigiles (ancient Roman firefighters) · Villa Celimontana
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] An alternative hypothesis is that the building was a patrician domus (residence). wdez.com · kelo.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The building has eight rooms, five of which have been fully excavated. wdez.com · kelo.com · www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.iltempo.it
- [● 2 SOURCES] Archaeologists uncovered a second‑century building with mosaics and frescoes near the Colosseum in Villa Celimontana park, Rome. wdez.com · kelo.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] A mosaic depicting a dolphin, fish, lobster and crab surrounding a two‑handed vase was found. wdez.com · kelo.com · www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.iltempo.it
- [● 4 SOURCES] The structure may have been the barracks of the Fifth Cohort of the Vigiles, ancient Roman firefighters. wdez.com · kelo.com · www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.iltempo.it
- [● 4 SOURCES] The excavations were funded by EU post‑COVID economic recovery (PNRR) funds. wdez.com · kelo.com · www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.iltempo.it
- [● 2 SOURCES] The excavation cost about €2 million. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.iltempo.it
- [● 2 SOURCES] Because the walls are in poor condition, authorities plan to re‑inter the remains and seek funding for a protective cover. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.iltempo.it