Catullus grottoes
Grottoes of Catullus ( Grotte di Catullo ) is the name for the ruins of a Roman villa that was built in the 1st century AD at the northern end of the Sirmione peninsula on the southern shore of Lake Garda . The villa was built on the remains of older predecessor buildings from the first century BC. It was probably abandoned as early as the 5th century AD; the name “grotte” (plural to Italian “grotta”) comes from the time when the remains of the building were already decaying and overgrown by plants.
The Catullus Caves are the largest and best-preserved remains of a Roman villa in northern Italy. The building covered an area 167 meters long and 105 meters wide. It covered an area of around 20,000 square meters over three floors. The main entrance was on the south side, on which the bathing facilities were also located. The long sides were equipped with covered verandas, the panoramic terrace on the north side offered a view of the lake.
Girolamo Orti Manara carried out the first archaeological investigations of the site in the late 19th century. In 1948 the facility was bought by the Soprintendenza Archeologica della Lombardia. It is still the subject of research. In the so-called Antiquarium, which was set up to the right of the entrance to the complex, there are also finds from pre- and post-Roman times. A poet portrait kept there is sometimes viewed as a portrait of Catullus ; he owned an estate in this area, but its location is not known for certain. It cannot be assumed that the ruins that bear his name belong to this estate. The property probably belonged to members of the Gens Valeria , where Catullus may once have been a guest.
Web links
- Sirmione History on sirmioneitaly.com (English)
- Grotte di Catullo (Grottoes of Catullus) Review on fodors.com (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Grottoes of Catullus, Sirmione, Brescia, Lombardy, Italy on enchantingitaly.com (English)
Coordinates: 45 ° 30 ′ 6 ″ N , 10 ° 36 ′ 22 ″ E