Villa rustica

• ‘Villa Rustica’ meant a Roman Villa in a country estate, as opposed to a villa urbana which was a holiday or weekend villa near a town or the coast.
• The villa rustica was usually located at the centre of a vast estate known as a Latifundium

Description

• The owner would leave the villa in charge of a superintendant known as the Vilicus, who was the farm manager and ruled over the Slaves.
  • Latifundia in Sicily
    • Villa Romana del Casale
  • Latifundia in Britannia
    • Chedworth Roman Villa
    • Bignor Roman Villa
    • Bedford Roman Villa
    • Chiddingfold Roman Villa
    • North Leigh Roman Villa
  • Gaul
    • Gallo-roman Villa of Montmaurin, near Toulouse.
    • Roman Villa at Chiragan in Martres-Tolosan (No visible Ruins)
      • The sculptures excavated from this extensive villa rustica are now in the Toulouse Archeological Museum.
      • The villa, located on the banks of the river Garonne, appears to have also been a holiday home owned by the Roman Emperors.

Villa Urbana

• In contrast to the Villa Rustica, the Villa Urbana would be built more for entertainment than for agriculture. For example:
  • • Villa of the Quintilii near Rome.

Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily