The excavation of the villa situated in the locality of Starza della Regina at Somma Vesuviana began after the chance find of a large group of walls which was hindering agricultural work. These structures were first studied between 1932 and 1936 by M. Della Corte (during the period when A. Maiuri was the Superintendent) and a substantial architectural complex emerged, preserved intact on its lower level to a height of 3m and above. The complex was characterized by square pilasters surmounted by arches and a colonnade with Corinthian capitals (in the 1930s the existence of a second storey was hypothesized with a colonnade surmounting pilasters). The ancient ground level was at circa 10m below the present level and the structures extended on an east-west alignment for at least 12m. The portico of pilasters met a brick built structure at a 90° angle, this structure was at least 9m long and decorated with three niches. At the time of the excavation, mosaic floors were noted. However, the investigations undertaken in the 1930s did not identify the typology or function of the building, whose monumental construction and topographical position in agro nolanum, support the hypothesis, formulated by Della Corte, that this was the villa where Augustus died. At the time it was thought the complex had been buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79A.D.

During 2002 the first geophysical investigations aimed at the definition of the probable extension of the archaeological complex began. (MiBAC)