Villa Romana del Casale
Roman exploitation of the countryside is symbolized
by the Villa Romana del Casale (in Sicily), the centre of the large
estate upon which the rural economy of the Western Empire was based. The
villa is one of the most luxurious of its kind. It is especially
noteworthy for the richness and quality of the mosaics which decorate
almost every room; they are the finest mosaics in situ anywhere in the Roman world.