Villa Romana di Giannutri

About the museum

On the island of Giannutri, at Cala Maestra and Punta Scaletta, lie the remains of a large Roman maritime villa built in the 1st century AD by the senatorial family of the Domitii Ahenobarbi, of which Nero was also a descendant. The complex, covering about five hectares and reachable directly from the sea by a staircase, served as a residence and as a port of call for sailing ships bound for Gaul and Spain; traces of the ancient harbour can be seen at Cala dello Spalmatoio.

The buildings were divided into five groups: harbour works with a large cistern still in use, storerooms and quarters for enslaved people, aristocratic houses with baths and mosaics, other servants' quarters and a belvedere dominated by columns of local granite. The villa was inhabited until the end of the 3rd century, then abandoned and left to fall into ruin. The remains were brought to light by an archaeological campaign at the end of the 19th century.

The site is now managed by the Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano and has been reopened to visitors after restoration. Since June 2023 the Labyrinth mosaic can also be seen, with the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and of Ariadne with the thread; it has been restored and relocated in the cryptoporticus, a closed Roman-era space.

Highlights

• Remains of a Roman maritime villa of about five hectares of the Domitii Ahenobarbi
• Labyrinth mosaic with Theseus and the Minotaur in the cryptoporticus
• Large Roman cistern still in use at Cala Maestra
• Ancient harbour at Cala dello Spalmatoio
• Panoramic position at Punta Scaletta in the Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano

Permanent exhibition

• Resti della villa romana e mosaico del Labirinto – Route among the structures of the maritime villa, with cistern, baths and residential rooms, and a visit to the Labyrinth mosaic in the cryptoporticus.

Operated by

Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano

Visitors per year

approx. 2,816

Admission & discounts

The ticket for the guided visit to the villa costs €8. From 1 January 2027 the access ticket to the island of Giannutri will be standardised at €9 per visitor, with the exemptions already provided for.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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