The term "Grotte di Catullo" identifies a Roman villa built between the end of the first century BC and the first century A.D. in Sirmione, in the province of Brescia, on the southern shore of Lake Garda.

The archaeological complex, studied from the beginning of the nineteenth century and brought to light in several stages, is today the most important testimony of the Roman period in the territory of Sirmione and is the most magnificent example of a Roman villa in northern Italy.

The archaeological complex covers an area of ​​about two hectares. The villa has a rectangular base, 167 x 105 meters, with two wings on the short northern and southern sides. To overcome the inclination of the bedrock on which the building was set, great works of support (substructures) were created in the northern part, while, especially in the southern sector, massive cuts in the rock were required.

The main entrance to the building was on the southern side. The villa was characterized by long porches and terraces open to the lake along the east and west sides, adjoining to the north with a large panoramic terrace, equipped with velarium. Along the west side, now you can visit the cryptoporticus, a long walk once covered.

The residential parts of the building were located in the northern and southern areas, while the central part, constituted today by a wide olive grove, was a large open space that was the garden of the villa. On the south side, under a floor in opus spicatum, there is a large tank almost 43 meters long, which collected the necessary water for daily use.

The large pool area of the villa consists of several rooms located in the south west, including the so-called pool, that was probably built ​​at the beginning of the second century.

(source: wikipedia; photos: gb)