Restructuring work was carried out on the 16th century Palazzo Granafei-Nevegna, in the historic centre of Brindisi and home to the town’s council offices. During this work, in 2000 and 2001, the Archaeological Superintendency carried out excavations, funded by the local council, which uncovered the structures of reception and service rooms that were part of a Roman domus of imperial date.

Further excavations took place in 2007/2008 and 2009 in the outer courtyard of the palazzo. More structural and decorative elements emerged, which integrated with what was previously documented, further defined the plan of the residential spaces and suggested ideas regarding the size and function of the building complex.

Based on the results of the processing and interpretation of the data produced during the excavations, the occupation phases are interpreted as follows: the construction of the Roman domus finely decorated with polychrome mosaics and opus sectile; the abandonment of this building attested by robbing and fills; late antique occupation attested by floor surfaces and burials; the medieval occupation that saw the insertion of wells and cisterns, the fills containing pottery dating to between the 13th and 16th centuries; modern constructions.