Capo Colonna

The entire peninsula is now within the Capo Colonna Archaeological Park and a museum nearby houses important finds.

The maritime role of the colony of Lacinium was highlighted as early as 190 BC when Livy, as prefect of the Roman fleet, inspected the ships coming from the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas there before they set off towards the Aegean against Antiochus III.

From the second half of the 2nd century BC, town house construction increased which occupied a good part of the sectors between the central plateau and the northern edge of the cliff.

Near the NE cliff two houses belonging to rich local people arose from the end of the 2nd century BC.

The domus "DR" is the oldest (end of the 2nd century BC, of about 15 x 34 m) and had a residential part around the atrium and a sector for service and production which overlooked a courtyard.

A circular sweating room (laconicum) and a furnace (praefurnium) were built to heat the water for the hot bath (solium) in a large room on whose floor is a mosaic with geometric motifs (meandering 3D polychrome swastikas, a wave motif) framing a central rhomboidal checkerboard with four dolphins at the corners.

The entrance portico provided a sheltered public area for shops including a room for the sale of drinks (a caupona) with a serving counter in calcarenite.

Lacinium in the Roman period (c. 0 AD)
Plan of Lacinium
Walls of Lacinium
Baths of Lacinium