Xystus

Central Sicily


An elliptical courtyard.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Central Sicily attractions

1. Triclinium

0.01 MILES

One of a series of apartments on one side of the Ambulacro, the triclinium boasts a splendid floor illustration of the labours of Hercules, where the…

2. Villa Romana del Casale

0.02 MILES

Villa Romana del Casale is sumptuous, even by decadent Roman standards, and is thought to have been the country retreat of Marcus Aurelius Maximianus,…

3. Sala delle Dieci Ragazze

0.02 MILES

Just off the southern end of the Ambulacro della Grande Caccia, in the Sala delle Dieci Ragazze, is the villa's most famous mosaic. It depicts nine …

4. Main Entrance

0.02 MILES

The villa's main entrance leads through the remnants of a triumphal arch into an elegant atrium (forecourt).

5. Peristyle

0.03 MILES

The main part of the villa is centred on the peristyle, a vast covered courtyard lined with amusing animal heads. This is where guests would have been…

6. Atrium

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This elegant space functioned as the Roman villa's forecourt.

7. Ambulacro della Grande Caccia

0.03 MILES

This 64m-long corridor is emblazoned with dramatic hunting scenes of tigers, leopards, elephants, antelopes, ostriches and a rhino – animals that the…

8. Palaestra

0.04 MILES

The palaestra wows with a splendid, sweeping mosaic depicting a chariot race at the Circus Maximus in Rome (the room is also known as the Salone del Circo…