Excavations at the Roman villa of Vacone (RI), already known for its two cryptoporticos, were undertaken with the aim of investigating the space between these two emerging structures. Work began at the edge of the lower cryptoporticus, which had been excavated by the Archaeological Superintendency for Lazio in 1986-87. These investigations had uncovered a mosaic floor forty metres long positioned above the lower cryptoporticus, and structures for wine and oil production above the upper cryptoporticus. Both structures were well-made, in _opus incertum_ with a facing of limestone blocks of varying sizes. The 2012 season concentrated on the area immediately north of the lower cryptoporticus, where the presence of thresholds found during the Superintendency’s excavations suggested the existence of rooms facing onto the _porticus_ itself. The investigations led to the identification of six rooms with different mosaic floors situated along the _porticus_. Fragments of polychrome wall plaster were found both _in situ_ and in layers of collapsed rubble and collapsed linear and moulded stucco. Surprisingly few pottery fragments were found in all excavation areas and almost none of them were diagnostic. The most easily datable finds were Italian sigillata fragments, found on the mosaic floors and out of context in the overlying soil. It may be provisionally suggested that the levels with the mosaic floors found this season were in use during the early imperial period, as seemed to be confirmed by the only coin find, a sestertius of Trajan datable to between 103 and 111 A.D. Evidence of an earlier building was documented underneath the floor mosaics: walls plastered on both faces and fallen fragments of plaster painted in a very different style to that found on the walls and collapsed material on the mosaic floors of the later villa. This suggests that the walls pre-date the creation of the mosaics. This earlier phase has yet to produce any pottery, but the discovery of several fragments of black gloss ware in other parts of the site suggests a late Republican phase that may correspond with the _opus incertum_ wall used in the construction of the cryptoporticos.

Since 2011, the Roman villa at Vacone (RI), known for its two cryptoportici and excavated in the 1980s by the Archaeological Superintendency for Lazio, is being excavated by Rutgers University (NJ, U.S.A.) under the direction of Prof. Gary Farney. A preliminary survey was carried out in 2011 and the first excavations in 2012, followed by a second campaign in 2013. The first season identified six rooms facing onto the portico that was built on the roof of the lower cryptoporticus. They presented well-preserved mosaic floors and painted plaster preserved in the collapse and _in_ _situ_. In 2013, the second campaign aimed to continue the exploration of these rooms, investigate the so-called upper cryptoporticus, and investigate the area above it, where in the 1980s excavations had identified a torcular and a channel in _opus_ _spicatum_. The continuation of excavations in these rooms defined a part of the perimeter walls and uncovered new floor mosaics and wall plaster still _in_ _situ_. In two rooms, the presence of earlier floor levels was revealed where plough furrows had cut the mosaics. The earlier floors are the best evidence to date for the existence of a Republican phase of the villa. The beginning of a vaulted passageway was discovered, sloping downwards to connect the rooms at terrace level with the interior of the lower cryptoporticus. Three male skeletons were uncovered in the same room in which, in the previous campaign, the skeleton of an infant was uncovered. At least two of the male skeletons were in secondary deposition. The excavation of the so-called “upper cryptoporticus” revealed that it formed part of the back wall of the residential part of the villa and that it presumably functioned as a cistern; the room east of the cistern must originally have been separated from it by a wall without any opening. The excavation of the torcular above the cistern revealed a series of floor surfaces around it and, to the east, a block of worked stone with the housings for the _arbores_ that would have supported the press. A second torcular in _opus_ _spicatum_ was uncovered beside the first. The previously identified channel was shown to be linked to a series of vats north of the cistern wall; a hole in the cistern wall connected the second vat to the interior of the room east of the cistern. The last area to be explored was the semicircular room with a cupola situated above the cistern: two postholes seemed to have housed the supports for a canopy that projected outside the room. The original southern part of the wall that formed the room’s circular perimeter seems to have been robbed. A preliminary study of the pottery seems to confirm that the villa was in use between the late Republican and early imperial periods.

In the 1980s, rescue excavations were carried out by the Archaeological Superintendency of Lazio at the Roman villa at Vacone (RI), known for the presence of two structures. In 2011, Rutgers University (NJ, U.S.A.) began preliminary investigations in the area between the two cryptoporticae, followed by excavations in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The first campaign identified six rooms facing onto the portico that were built on the roof of the lower cryptoporticus, with well-preserved mosaic floors and painted wall plaster in the collapse and _in_ _situ_. The second campaign, in 2013, continued the exploration of the rooms identified the previous year, investigated the so-called upper cryptoporticus that was revealed to be a cistern, and investigated the area above the latter, where the Superintendency had identified a press and an _opus_ _spicatum_ channel. During this season evidence emerged of an earlier occupation phase, datable to the late Republican period, and new elements came to light in the production area. The first part of a descending vaulted passageway linking the rooms on the terrace with the interior of the cryptoporticus was identified. Three adult male skeletons, at least two in secondary deposition, were found in the same room in which an infant’s skeleton was found last year. During the 1014 campaign, the excavation of several rooms facing onto the cryptoporticus and one abutting the cistern was completed. A north-south trench was opened, with the idea of linking the two groups of rooms. This led to the discovery of new rooms with mosaic floors. The excavation of the production area continued towards the east, confirming that the villa extended further in that direction. The relationship between the production area and the residential sector below it was investigated. New evidence for the villa’s late Republican phase and the large amount of terracotta/ceramic material that was recovered confirmed the latest date so far attested on the site to be the 2nd century A.D. The 2015 campaign furthered understanding of the villa’s plan, investigating the relationships between its various levels. The passageway leading from the residential level to the lower cryptoporticus was excavated, reaching floor level and identifying a small aperture that opened onto the room flanking it. A second entrance to the lower cryptoporticus was found at its western end. Excavation in the area in front of the entrance to the upper cryptoporticus identified at least three successive occupation phases. The excavation of the residential sector was completed, thus giving a better understanding of the villa’s plan. The excavation of the productive sector was extended thanks to the acquisition of more land by Vacone town council, and a wine press was found alongside those for oil.

In the 1980s, rescue excavations were carried out by the Archaeological Superintendency of Lazio at the Roman villa at Vacone (RI), known for the presence of two structures. In 2011, Rutgers University (NJ, U.S.A.) began preliminary investigations in the area between the two cryptoporticae, followed by five excavation campaigns between 2012 and 2016. This season’s excavations took place on the main terrace, the production quarter in the north-eastern part of the villa and the lower cryptoporticus, furthering knowledge of the villa’s plan and decorative scheme, and the use of the production areas. Some of the rooms in the residential sector were cleared of the layers of collapse down to the floor levels, constituted by mosaics with various types of decoration, which had been repaired in antiquity. The excavation of the central sector, south of the upper cistern exposed part of the stylobate belonging to the central peristyle and surrounding portico. The north-eastern sector of the villa presented a succession of cement and terracotta floor surfaces, the earliest discovered to date was associated with a wine vat lined with waterproof mortar. The presence of a surface of _bipedales_ to the east of the last room investigated indicates that the eastern limit of the complex has not yet been identified. The underground passageway linking the main terrace with the cryptoporticus below was completely excavated showing that it was built after the latter. The find of a lamp datable to the late 5th – early 6th century A.D. in the abandonment layers in the sector next to the upper cistern post-dates the villa’s abandonment, which remained in use until at least the 3rd century A.D.

The site of the Roman villa at Vaccone (RI), known for the presence of two standing structures, was the object of rescue excavations in the 1980s by the Archaeological Superintendency of Lazio. In 2011, Rutgers University (NJ, U.S.A.) began preliminary investigations in the area between the two cryptoporticae (2011), followed by five excavation seasons between 2012 and 2017. The first campaign identified six rooms facing onto the portico that were built on top of the lower cryptoporticus, with well-preserved mosaic floors and painted wall plaster in the collapse and _in_ _situ_. The second campaign, in 2013, continued the exploration of the rooms identified the previous year, investigated the so-called upper cryptoporticus that was revealed to be a cistern, and the area above the latter, where the Superintendency had identified a press and an _opus_ _spicatum_ channel. During this season, evidence emerged of an earlier occupation phase, datable to the late Republican period, and new elements came to light in the production area. The first part of a descending vaulted passageway linking the rooms on the terracing with the interior of the cryptoporticus was identified. Three adult male skeletons, at least two in secondary deposition, were found in the same room in which an infant’s skeleton was found last year. During the 2014 campaign, the excavation of several rooms facing onto the cryptoporticus and one abutting the cistern was completed. A north-south trench was opened, with the idea of linking the two groups of rooms. This led to the discovery of new rooms with mosaic floors. The excavation of the production area continued towards the east, confirming that the villa extended further in that direction. The relationship between the production area and the residential sector below it was investigated. New evidence for the villa’s late Republican phase and the large amount of terracotta/ceramic material that was recovered confirmed the latest date so far attested on the site to be the 2nd century A.D. The 2015 campaign furthered understanding of the villa’s plan, investigating the relationships between its various levels. The passageway leading from the residential level to the lower cryptoporticus was excavated, reaching floor level and identifying a small aperture that opened onto the room flanking it. A second entrance to the lower cryptoporticus was found at its western end. Excavation in the area in front of the entrance to the upper cryptoporticus identified at least three successive occupation phases. The excavation of the residential sector was completed, thus giving a better understanding of the villa’s plan. The excavation of the productive sector was extended thanks to the acquisition of more land by Vacone town council, and another wine press was found alongside those for oil. The 2016 campaign investigated the main terrace, the production quarter in the north-east sector of the villa and the lower cryptoporticus. Some of the rooms in the residential sector were freed of the collapse down to the floor levels constituted by mosaics with various types of decorative motif and which showed repairs made in antiquity. The excavation of the central part of the main terrace revealed a section of the stylobate of the central peristyle and of the surrounding portico. The north-eastern part of the villa presented a series of cement floors with a terracotta make-up, the earliest of which discovered to date was associated with a wine vat lined with waterproof mortar. The presence of a surface of _bipedales_ to the east of the last room excavated showed that the edge of the settlement has yet to be reached on this side. The underground passage linking the main terrace with the underlying cryptoporticus was completely excavated and was seen to have been constructed in a phase post-dating the cryptoporticus. A lamp datable to the 5th/early 6th century A.D. in the abandonment layers of the sector adjacent to the upper cistern dates the abandonment of the villa to a period post-3rd century A.D. This season’s excavations were concentrated in four areas on the main terrace and in the lower cryptoporticus and not only exposed new sectors of the villa, but also led to the acquisition of important evidence regarding the post-Roman occupation of the site, which continued until the early medieval period. The surface excavations investigated a new part of the peristyle at the centre of the terrace, characterised by the presence of five columns on each side, made of local stone, and faced with stucco imitating marble. Excavation also continued in the rooms on the eastern and north-western edges of the same terrace in order to complete the villa’s plan and investigate the relationships between the various rooms. A new excavation area was opened up against the terrace wall of the production area, which provided new data regarding the spatial distribution of the rooms in this sector and important evidence about the phases of the villa’s reoccupation, attested by the presence of a kiln and burial of Lombard date. In the same area, the north-western perimeter of the portico’s east wing was uncovered. Paved in mosaic it formed an L-shape around the villa, including the south side. Work also continued in the lower cryptoporticus. The investigations were able to reconstruct its exact dimensions and acquired further data about the different construction phases, as well as about the post-Roman occupation phases. In fact, the abandonment layers contained a lamp dating to the 7th-8th century A.D. and a substantial accumulation of chippings from the working of Cottanello stone to be associated with the creation of new tesserae for the restoration of the damaged floors.

The continuation of research on the site of the Roman villa at Vacone (RI) – already known for the presence of standing structures and excavated in the 1980s – provided new data and ideas about the occupation of the area where excavations have been undertaken by Rutgers University (NJ, U.S.A.) since 2011. The preceding campaigns mainly concentrated on the so-called central terrace and provided data regarding the villa’s plan during the various occupation phases until its abandonment, which as things stand is dated to a period post 3rd century A.D., and important evidence for the post-Roman occupation of the site, which continued until the early medieval period. This season, excavations took place on the main terrace and the south portico and revealed a number of rooms at the SW end of the villa relating to the bath complex. Some had _suspensurae_, and all were filled by substantial dumps of material containing pottery, marble slabs, stucco fragments, and a Doric capital. It was possible to further define the villa’s plan in the early imperial period thanks to the discovery of a stretch of the colonnaded portico to the east, paved with a mosaic and with remains of the wall decoration still _in_ _situ_. Therefore, the villa had an L-shaped portico on its east and south sides. At the SE corner, room 8 opened onto both wings and was of considerable size (13.5 x 8 m). Room 35, facing onto the south wing of the portico was of particular interest as it was paved with the only figured mosaic found to date: a bi-chrome mosaic with a central emblem depicting a _kantharos_ with vine branches coming out of it, which are populated with birds. This attests the phase of restructuring that took place in the 2nd century A.D. Recent digging for agricultural purposes revealed, below the early imperial paving (1st century A.D.), new parts of the late Republican villa, known from segments of floors and walls here and there on the upper terrace where the planting took place. Investigations at the NE corner of the so-called upper terrace, up against the terrace’s containing walls where the production area was situated, led to the identification of a portico paved in _opus_ _spicatum_, built at a right angle to the east portico. This area was of particular interest as regards the post-Roman occupation. In addition to the oven found in 2017, in 2018 three infant burials and another oven, built abutting the terrace wall, were found in the same area. Lastly, room S8 in the lower level seemed to originally have been built as a catchment basin or cistern below the bath complex and was later enlarged to fill the entire room, in order to supply various needs as they occurred.