Domus Romana

The exhibit area is located on the basement floor of the municipal old people's home "Canuto Borelli". The archaeological evidence is primarily the remains of a domus dating to the second half of the 1st century A.D. Domus means home, usually on a single floor, used by wealthy Roman families in the cities of the Empire. The construction of Asti arose eighty metres or so to the north of the western city gate, the Red Tower. Among the remains of the Domus, of particular interest is the mosaic rug that decorated the floor in white cocciopesto (lime mortar with an aggregate of coarse pieces of broken terracotta) of the dining room (Triclinium). The mosaic, with white background and the insertion of round, rectangular and rhomboid tiles in coloured marble, is enriched by figures of fish and ivy branches, and bordered by two frames in white and black tesserae: one in a herringbone shape and the outer one, in a braid shape. The Smarticket is the single integrated ticket which allows access to the Roman Domus and to the other five sites of Fondazione Asti Musei; the ticket, valid for the 7 days following the first validation, can be purchased at Palazzo Mazzetti. Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm. Last Admission at 6 pm. Closed on Mondays.