Roman Villa Open Air Museum

In every culture, water is synonymous with purity, health and well being. In Roman times this concept was behind the thermal baths, a series of buildings for bathing but also a place to rest and for social meetings.

At the Roman Villa Open Air Museum in Albir, located in the privileged environment of Albir Beach, you can discover first hand the bathing ritual of the thermal baths that were built over 1500 years ago.

Through the re enactment of the thermal baths and an educational and accessible exhibition we invite you to enjoy an experience you can´t miss. Bene lava! Good bathing!

THE VISIT

The visit begins in a small exhibition room with samples of some of the pieces found at the site, a video presentation and objects that show us aspects of a day in the life of a noble family in a rural settlement during the last centuries of the Roman era (4th and 5th century AD). The visit continues with the archaeological ruins of the villa, for now the only visitable areas are the thermal baths and the oecus, the dominus quarters.

Finally, you can visit the mausoleum, a funerary building that holds the burials of an important family, possibly the owners of the villa. It is located on Calle Ruperto Chapí street, very close to the museum.

To help you understand the site better, you have at your disposal virtual guides through ipads that, using Augmented Reality, overlap virtual reconstructions of the thermal baths upon the actual archaeological remains. You also have educational panels with information in different languages at your disposal, with photographs, images and reconstructions in 3D.

The whole visit is accessible both for people with disabilities as for children prams.

For groups with over eight people it is necessary to inquire about the availability of the guided visit service and make prior reservations by email (museovillaromana@lalfas.com)

ALBIR ROMAN VILLA

The Albir Roman Villa is a country house located in the local region of the Roman town Allon (la Vila Joiosa). During the 4th and 5th centuries it belonged to a wealthy family that made oil and wine. The Albir site is an example of the Hispanic aristocracy´s desire to turn the villas into leisurely residences and a centre of their possessions.

This house was not isolated as it was the centre of a town where peasants and fishermen from other small villas and farms lived, with a quay on the beach and an extensive cemetery located by the main villa.

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The Thermal Baths

In Roman times bathing was an important event of the day, usually taken in the evening before having dinner. More than a luxury, it was considered a necessity as it provided a gratifying physical and mental rest after a hard day of work.

The daily bath was an established habit in Roman culture and was more than just about hygiene. People that didn´t use or didn´t know baths were considered “barbarian” and apart from civilization.

Therefore the thermal baths represented the lifestyle of ancient Rome.

The Mausoleum

In the proximity of the villa, in calle Ruperto Chapí street, you can find the funerary building that most probably belonged to the family that owned the villa. It was dug up in the eighties of the 20th century and in 2002, due to construction nearby, it was cordoned off. Today, it can be seen from outside the property.

It´s a rectangular plot divided among various areas where the burials took place. The interior of the building was decorated with red paint and a marble plinth. Open graves covered in double layers of tiles and bodies inside amphorae were found outside the building space.

The Albir mausoleum is a unique building as there are very few remaining funerary monuments of this kind in the Valencian Community.

DISCOVERY OF THE SITE

In 1979, a series of works close to Albir Beach uncovered bones from a Roman era burial. During the eighties and nineties of the 20th century, archaeological excavations discovered a site of great patrimonial and scientific wealth dating back to between the 3rd and 7th centuries. The necropolis was totally uncovered and some of the burial and funerary objects found are exhibited at the MARQ archaeological museum in Alicante.

A SITE BEING EXCAVATED

In 2008, l´Alfàs del Pi Town Hall, in collaboration with Alicante University, continued with archaeological activity and resumed the works. Since then and each summer, a group of students from different Spanish universities work at the villa to discover and recover one of the most significant late Roman sites in Alicante province.

This support for the town´s archaeological heritage resulted the opening of the Valencian Community´s first Open Air Museum, authorized by the Generalitat Valencian regional government and opened in March 2011.

THE RECOVERY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS

Due to the extreme fragility of archaeological remains, it is necessary to strengthen and restore the structures to guarantee their conservation. The recreation of some elements also help visitors to better understand the site.

Additionally, some of the pieces and remains of these burials that were located during the excavation process also require a special treatment to maintain their proper preservation.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

The patrimonial promotional work carried out at the Museum also intends to show what archaeology is from the inside, such as the work of archaeologists and restorers. For this, the Councillorship for Culture offers different activities at the site such as guided and theatrical visits, educational workshops, open days and Youth Work Camp organized by the Town Hall and the IVAJ Valencian Youth Institute.