The site of the Roman villa of Mutteron dei Frati is situated in the pine wood of Valgrande di Bibione (San Michele al Tagliamento), at about one kilometre from the present coastline. The remains of the complex are partially visible at the foot of an ancient dune 12 m high, amongst the pine wood undergrowth.

Revealed by chance finds in the mid 18th century, the site was partially excavated in the 1930s and 1990s. These excavations uncovered a series of rooms with mosaic floors and frescoed walls belonging to the pars urbana of a seaside villa, with walls standing up to 2 m in height. Several rooms relating to a possible extension/restructuring in the late antique period were also uncovered.

In 2018, the Universities of Regensburg and Padua, in collaboration with the Superintendency, began preliminary investigations (geophysical survey, core sampling, excavation) on the site as the start of a multidisciplinary research project aimed at furthering the study of this coastal complex and the surrounding landscape. The three-year project, financed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, officially began in November 2022. To date, geophysical surveys (geo-electric and geo-radar), core sampling, and two excavation campaigns have taken place on the site. This has led to the identification of the western and southern margins of the villa’s residential structure, confirmation of the restructuring of the complex in the late antique period, and the identification of previously unknown medieval occupation. In addition, an archaeological survey covered an area of circa 1000 hectares behind the site, revealing the existence of sporadic material and Roman sites in close relationship with paleo-environmental elements. The ongoing research intends not only to clarify the villa’s architectural aspects, but also the social and economic aspects as well as those relating to the landscape.