Tablinum, Villa Romana del Casale (Photo Archive)

Room for welcoming the guests

Villa Romana del Casale / Piazza Armerina / Sicily / Italy

Take me to the pictures! (5 photos in photo gallery)

The tablinum is the entrance to peristyle and the main parts of the Villa Romana del Casale. It is located between the atrium and the peristyle.

The mosaic in this room is mostly geometric, but it has an emblem in the middle, depicting a symbolic welcome. Most of the figurative part of the mosaic is missing, but several persons are visible, divided in two registers. In the upper row three person can be seen, one older, bearded person holding a candle and two younger males holding branches of laurel. Below fragments of several younger persons can be seen, some holding diptychs (tablets used for writing, made of two rigid plates attached by hinges).

The central part of the emblem is unfortunately missing, so it is difficult to say what it meant, but is was probably an depiction of a group of persons welcoming the guests with signs of hospitality, or maybe the returning owner of the villa.

On the S. wall there are a few remains of a marble socle and wall paintings.

Photo gallery of 5 pictures for "Tablinum"

Prints of the photographs are available — read more here.