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FISTULA FROM VILLA DEI PISONI

Discovered among the ruins of the Villa of the Pisones, not far away from Punta Epitaffio, this lead water pipeline allowed for identifying the owners of the entire complex: the inscription on the artefact “L. Pisoni” allows us, in fact, to identify the submerged remains of walls and buildings of a gigantic villa owned by the Pisones family; following an unsuccessful conspiracy against the emperor Nero, the villa became part of the imperial possessions. For a place such as the Gulf of Naples, plenty of seaside villas owned by the most important families of the ancient Rome, a proof so certain as this inscription remains a precious rarity.

The artefact does not show signs of biological degradation.

Maniscalco, F. 1995, ‘Un ninfeo severiano nelle acque del porto di Baia’, Ostraka, 4(2), pp. 269-270. Maniscalco, F. 1997, Ninfei ed edifici marittimi severiani del Palatium imperiale di Baia. Napoli: Massa Editore, pp. 44-46. Napoli, M. 1953 ‘Di una villa marittima di Baia’, Bollettino di Storia dell’Arte. Istituto Universitario di Magistero, Salerno, III(1), pp. 100-101. Zevi F. (cur.) 2009, Museo archeologico dei Campi Flegrei. Castello di Baia. Napoli: Electa Napoli, vol. 3, p. 130.

MUSAS Ref. No.BAI-040DimensionsNot availableMaterialsLeadLocationArchaeological Museum of Campi FlegreiOriginVilla of the Pisones, BaiaeDatingI century A.D.Share