Ta’ Kaċċatura Roman Villa

Clearing of this villa agraria was completed in May 1915 by Thomas Ashby, who published his findings in an article in the Journal of Roman Studies. The final phase of the villa consisted of a small peristyle around which lay a number of small rooms, including a small olive oil production area. Among the most important aspects of this house is the well-known rock-cut cistern that still retains its original roof propped up by a number of square-sectioned pillars. Another important feature of the house is what remains of a staircase accessible from the peristyle and leading to a now-lost upper floor. According to Ashby, the small peristyle around which the house is built was one of the areas that suffered most from stone pilfering. However, enough evidence was gathered during the 1915 excavations to allow a partial reconstruction of the colonnaded peristyle. Twelve columns (four on each side) of Coralline Limestone originally adorned the area. They seem to have had no base but rested on th