Reconstruction of the Roman villa at Weilberg
Mac and I were looking for a place to stop and take the dog for a walk after our Mother's day dinner.
What a happy accident when we stop off in a parking area beside the road and found the ruins of a Roman villa. Since Mac and I love history, we thought we'd share this with you.
This villa was discovered in 1981. The ruins were large. Besides the actual villa, it has a Roman cemetery, barns and other outbuildings.
The general concensus is that the villa was built in the 4th Century and probably destroyed by the Alemanni. Who were the Alemanni? They were a Germanic people first mentioned in ad 213. In the following years, their attacks put intolerable pressure on the Roman provinces. The Alemanni controlled the Agri Decumates. This area in ancient times, was the Black Forest and adjoining areas of what is now southwestern Germany between the Rhine, Danube, and Main rivers. The Romans were ousted from the Agri Decumates by the Alemanni in about ad 260.
This seems to be a bathing area in the villa, from what I could understand of the German sign explaining the area.
This was part of the underfloor heating system in Roman times.
The kitchen and the oven.
The well.
The roman toilets. They even had what appeared to be a system of running water to wash the toilets out.
Clever Romans!
If you want a laugh, or you are interested in this aspect of Roman life, go to Youtube/Horrible Histories-Roman toilets
You know my Mac by now. He just couldn't resist.
Mac gives these Roman Villa ruins a thumbs up.
If you would like to go here. Head for Weilberg as you leave Bad Dürkheim. Look for brown signs posted Römervilla with parking in a reststop. (layby for you British)
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