La villa di Gianola presso Formia (LT). Un esempio di lealismo imperiale.

Abstract

The essay displays the results of the safety works of the Gianola villa at Formia (LT), focusing on the figurative documentation. The villa, of the ‘pavilions’ type, belongs to the coastal villas system in the Gulf of Gaeta, and shows three building phases (late Republican age, end of the 1st century AD, from the middle of the 3rd century AD). The last phase of the villa is of particular interest, especially the octagonal construction, which originally served as a cistern and finally, in late age, had a programmatic role, as evidenced by the mosaic ceiling with stars. It remains uncertain, however, if it was a key place of the villa or a mausoleum: the sculptural furniture, in fact, was found near the octagonal room, and includes fragments of sarcophagi (of obvious funerary destination) and of ornament sculpture, and five images, one of Commodus, three privates portraits from the early years of Gallienus, and one private of the first half of the 4th century AD represented as a philosopher. The series of portraits shows that the villa was an example of loyalty to the imperial ideology through the images of the emperor or of persons very similar to him.