Archaeology in val grande

The roman Villa Mutteron dei frati

The Val Grande Nature Oasis preserves the oldest known traces of Bibione’s history. On this narrow strip of land between the sea and the inland lagoons, beneath pine trees and at the foot of ancient coastal dunes, lie the only visible remains of Roman structures ever identified in the area.

The site was first mentioned in the mid-18th century following occasional discoveries of archaeological finds. More systematic excavations took place in the 1930s and again in the 1990s, bringing to light mosaics, stone walls, and frescoed surfaces belonging to several rooms of a Roman seaside villa — some of which remain partially visible today.

Since 2022, the villa and its surrounding landscape have entered a new phase of archaeological and geomorphological research led by the University of Regensburg and the University of Padua, in collaboration with the relevant Italian heritage authorities. The ongoing investigations aim to uncover additional structures that will help clarify the villa’s full layout and extent, the organization of its residential and productive areas, and its broader historical and economic context.

Research also focuses on the sources of building materials, the unique land-and-water landscape that once defined the area, and the network of river, lagoon, and maritime trade routes that animated the Upper Adriatic coast during Roman times.

Strongly supported by the owners and managers of Val Grande, the research is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Germany’s leading public institution for the promotion of scientific research.

Contact mail: bibioneproject@gmail.com
Social media: Bibione Antica: Discovering the Past

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