The Greek writer Olympiodorus claimed the villa dei Quintili had everything that a city could hold: hippodrome, forums, temples, fountains, spas. The estate was huge: the largest villa in the Roman suburbs, second only to the one of Hadrian in Tivoli. In the past it was actually mistaken for a city referred to as ‘Old Rome’. 24 hectares were acquired by the state in 1985 but there’s more in the neighboring properties which are still private.
The Villa dei Quintili overlooks a hill formed by the lava flow of the Alban hills between the Appian way and via Appia Nuova (the ancient via Latina).
Cassio Dio, historian and senator who lived at the time, refers that Commodus killed the Quintilii brothers finding them guilty of a conspiracy even if ‘they were not planning any rebellion’ to confiscate their property on the Appian way (182 AD). The names of the 2 brothers of Greek origins (both consuls in 151 AD) were found on lead pipes by Antonio Nibby in the area of the baths in 1882.
Commodus loved dressing up as Hercules and fighting in the Colosseum. According to historical sources he was bizarre and paranoid. If his father Marcus Aurelius was regarded as a great man, he was hated by the Senate and ridiculed by historians. Cassius Dio describes in these terms his rise to power: ‘our history now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust’.
Commodus is strangled by his slave Narcissus, gladiator and ‘personal trainer’ in the baths of the Villa.
Plundered through the centuries, the Quintili’s villa was also severely damaged by the excavations carried under the pope Pius VI (end of 18th century) in order to enrich the Pius Clementine Museum at the Vatican (600 pieces come from here). Until then in fact it was ecclesiastical property. Other finds were sold or ended up in various foreign museums as the Louvre or the Glyptothek in Munich. The excavations were financed with the revenues of the lottery, already then, very much in vogue. Purchased by the Torlonia family in 1797 more finds went to enrich their private collections.
In 1985 more scientific excavations started.
A monumental fountain (the great Nymphaeum) gave originally access to the property. Its lavish baths were fed by an imperial aqueduct: the Anio Novus.
The residential complex was decorated with precious colored marbles, mosaics, paintings and stuccoes. The villa was called statuario for the large amount of statues that came to light during the excavations. The rooms were heated with a clay pipe system. A large garden shaped as a circus was probably a racecourse. Another interesting structure elliptical in shape was a miniature arena.
Stop at the Antiquarium, (by the entrance on Via Appia Nuova, 1092): for its interesting collection of precious statues and recent finds.
Recently the archaeological area of Santa Maria Nova on the Appia Antica has opened to the public: so it’s also possible to enter (or exit) the villa from here (Via Appia Antica, 290) and admire the famous mosaic of the gladiator Montanus recently found.
The ticket for Villa dei Quintili (6€) – valid for 7 days – includes also the Baths of Caracalla and the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella.
The villa, if you enter from Via Appia Nuova, can be easily reached by bus number 118 (it stops also by the Colosseum). Unload one of the apps for public transportation in Rome like Probus or Moovit to quickly find your way and know when next bus is coming.
