Musiva e sectilia in una lussuosa residenza rurale dell’Apulia tardoantica: la villa di Faragola (Ascoli Satriano)

During the first excavation at the site of Faragola, in the territory of Ascoli Satriano, Foggia, which was carried out in July 2003, an extended and complex rural settlement was the object of enquiry. It dates back to the late Roman age, and is notable for its luxury. Some living quarters from a rich villa, dating to the late Roman phase, have been brought to light; in par- ticular, a large room, which can presumably be identified as a summer cenatio. It is equipped with a fountain, decorated in opus sectile, and with a pavement made of recycled marble slabs. The pavement is also embellished by the insertion of rich carpets made of opus sectile, which were made with small slabs of variously coloured marbles and glass paste. Few metres away from this luxurious dining room, other rooms in the living quarters were also found, whose floors were made of polychrome mosaics and geometric decoration. This important discovery adds significantly to our knowledge of the way in which the coun- tryside was organised, in Ausculum as well as in Apulia as a whole. Indeed, even though nume- rous other late Roman villas in the territory of Daunia are known, the one in Faragola seems to be one of the most luxurious examples of this type of rural building in Southern Italy.