Roman villas restored

This item appears on page 19 of the March 2008 issue.

Two Roman villas and private baths dating from the second to fourth centuries have been restored and opened to the public in Rome, Italy.

Excavated under the 16th-century Palazzo Valentini, the 19,375-square-foot complex, which probably housed a Roman senator and his family, features well-preserved marble floors and a mosaic. Glass catwalks above the villas’ remains are combined with 3-D light-projection reconstructions showing how they originally may have looked.

Near Piazza Venezia, Palazzo Valentini is located at Via IV Novembre 119-A, Rome (phone +39 199 199 111, www.provincia.roma.it [in Italian only]). Open 9-6 Monday-Friday and 9-2 Saturday. Admission is free.