The Imperiale del Casale is an ancient Roman villa in the Sicilian town of Piazza Armerina, Italy. The villa is world famous for its historical mosaics and rusins from Roman times. These are the largest, richest and most complex mosaics of this period. They are included in the World Historical and Cultural Heritage under the protection of UNEXO. The building was built on the remains of an older villa in the 4th century. Around the villa there was a small village - Platia (from palatium - palace). It is believed that the entire complex was destroyed during the time of the Vandal Kingdom. The area was finally abandoned in the 12th century, after a landslide covered the villa. The surviving inhabitants moved to Piazza Armerina, and the villa was almost completely forgotten, although the highest parts were always above ground. Some of the columns and mosaics of the villa were discovered in the 19th century. The first archaeological excavations took place in 1929, and a little later a cover was built over the mosaics. The villa is a one-story building with living rooms, thermal baths, a large basilica, a huge formal dining room. One of the most famous mosaics depicts ten girls in bikinis, which made the villa extremely popular. Another very well-preserved mosaic depicts a hunt in which hunters use dogs and capture a wide variety of game.
