Villa Romana del Casale in Italy, Sicily resort
Rating: 7,7/10 (854 votes)  Villa Romana del Casale is an ancient Roman palace, built on the foundations of an older structure in the 4th century BC. In ancient times, the villa was the central building of the estate. Skillful Roman mosaics that adorn the rooms of the estate have survived to this day. The villa was recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to historians, the villa was used for two centuries after its construction, but was later abandoned. Subsequently, a village grew up around the villa, which was named Platia. During the rule of the Visigoths in Sicily, the villa was in a dilapidated state, but many of its buildings were used for various purposes. In the 12th century, the villa was completely forgotten, and soon the estate was buried underground as a result of a severe landslide. In the 19th century, during archaeological excavations at the villa, fragments of numerous mosaics were discovered, as well as fragments columns. In 1929, an official archaeological excavation was carried out at the site, led by Paolo Orsi. In the 30s of the same century, Orsi replaced Giuseppe Cultrera. In the 1950-1960s, the last excavations were carried out, during which a small dome was erected over the mosaics. In 1959-1960, a mosaic depicting ten girls, which was named 'bikini girls'. 
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