- The Roman Villa was either a villa urbana meaning a holiday retreat or a Villa rustica which was an agricultural farm estate.
Hadrian's Villa
- Hadrian’s Villa is situated at Tivoli, 18 miles (30km) north of Rome, and built between 117-120 CE. It was Hadrian’s Palace in the country and held the greatest Roman imitation of a Garden of Alexandria.
- Hadrian preferred to live here, rather than in the Palaces on the Palatine. An Imperial Court was in permanent residence here, connected by Post to Rome.
Villa of the Quintilii
- The Villa of the Quintilii is the ruin of an extensive Roman Villa located 5 miles (8km) outside of Rome along the Via Appia.
- It was a Villa Urbana, a weekend or holiday villa, located near to the city, rather than a Villa rustica. The villa was the size of a small town.
- It was built during Hadrian‘s reign (117-138 CE) by two brothers, Sextus Quintillius Valerius Maximus (Consul 151 CE) and Sextus Quintilius Condianus (Consul 180 CE). However, in 182 CE Commodus commandeered the villa after executing the brothers and built a private Hippodrome in the grounds.
Other Holiday Villas
- Villa Jovis
- Tiberius’ Villa on the Island of Capri.
- Villa Poppaea
- Thought to have belonged to Nero’s second wife.
- Villa of the Papyri
- Contained a Roman Library which was buried under the lava from Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.
- Sulla‘s Villa
- Located at Puteoli, the Bay of Naples, where he died in 82 BCE.
- Villa of Tiberius at Sperlonga
- With notable Grottoes.
- Hadrian’s villa at Baiae.
Hadrian’s Villa, Tivoli