Villa di Teodorico

Imposing elegant villa with private spa bath dating back to the years of Theodoric reign in Italy (5th-6th century a.D.). Excavations on the site have brought to light older structures from the Roman time as well as valuable protohistoric and preroman findings probably belonging to a rustic countryside villa.

Address: 47010 Galeata (FC), Italia
Telephone number: Comune di Galeata - Ufficio cultura +39.0543.975424
Fax: +39.0543.981021
Mail: cultura@comune.galeata.fc.it

Analytical text

In the fertile plain north of Galeata, history and legends are entwined to create a tradition according to which Theodoric, who came to the Bidente valley to repair the Trajan aqueduct supplying the city of Ravenna with water, had himself built a villa (in the Life of Saint Ellerus is called “palatium”) to use as a hunting lodge.
Some parts of the villa (together with structures of Roman time) were excavated in 1942 by the German Archaeological Institute of Rome. The resumption of excavations in 1998 at the villa has confirmed the presence of at least two building phases reflecting different stages of its development: the former phase goes back to the Roman time, according to archaeological structures and materials discovered, and the latter can be traced back to Theodoric time between the 5th and 6th century.
Of the rich residence from the Theodoric time a bath “quarter” has been recently brought to light including areas for hot, warm and cold baths. Adjoining this covered area is a sandstone corridor with central swimming-pool forming a kind of connection area with other sectors of the villa. The architectonic complexity of the building along with the dating of the materials suggest with a high degree of certainty that the residence belonged to a rich dignitary of the Gothic court of Ravenna, if not to the same entourage of the king Theodoric.

News

In the area is underway an excavation project curated by the Archaeological Department of Bologna University. A selection of the materials recovered on the site (with a chronological excursus from the Protohistory to the High Middle Ages) is on display in the hall dedicated to the Theodoric villa inside the Civic Museum “Mons. Domenico Mambrini” of Pianetto.

Opening time

The site is open to the public at any time; the archaeological structures can today be visited during the archaeological excavations in the summer season (June-July) conducted by the Archaeological Department of Bologna University.

How to get there

Galeata is 34 kilometres from Forlì along the 4 Bidente provincial road. The archaeological site is situated to the north of the town of Galeata.