By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-09 13:19:16 | Updated at 2026-09-09 13:59:31
56 minutes ago
Archaeologists have discovered what is believed to be the largest ever Roman wall mosaic constructed nearly 2,000 years ago.
Measuring 10 metres in height and stretching 16 metres across, the spectacular artwork was found in a subterranean gallery buried deep within the Oppian Hill, mere steps from the Colosseum in the Italian capital.
The mosaic lay hidden beneath the Baths of Trajan, an enormous imperial bathing and leisure complex dating to the first century AD.
"It is certainly the biggest wall mosaic ever found in Rome and possibly in the world," said Francesco Pacetti, an archaeologist working on the excavation.
First identified in the 1990s but only fully excavated this year, the masterpiece has now been opened to visitors as the centrepiece of Rome's newest museum.
The artwork is richly populated with mythological and human figures, including centaurs, laurel-crowned poets, unclothed women, and female muses, all arranged among rows of ornate columns.
Delicate white tiles running along the fluted pillars create an illusion of sunlight glinting off their surfaces.
At the wall's base sits a remarkably detailed portrayal of a Roman city, featuring stone fortifications and a harbour.
The mosaic lay hidden beneath the Baths of Trajan
REUTERS
Whether this represents a real or idealised settlement remains uncertain. "It might be Ostia," suggested Mr Pacetti, referring to ancient Rome's port on the Tyrrhenian coast.
"But we just don't know. Either way, it has been painted in great detail. You see the stone walls and a main gate with two towers and a glimpse of a temple."
Some depicted figures are thought to represent actual individuals, while another likely portrays Aeneas, the legendary Trojan hero credited with Rome's founding.
Experts believe the mosaic once decorated either a domus — a grand private home belonging to a wealthy Roman family — or formed part of Emperor Nero's Domus Aurea, the extravagant palace he constructed after fire ravaged central Rome in AD 64.
The artwork was entombed in AD 109 when Emperor Trajan commandeered the site for his vast 15-acre public bathhouse
REUTERS
The artwork was entombed in AD 109 when Emperor Trajan commandeered the site for his vast 15-acre public bathhouse, then the largest in the Roman world. Nero's successors were keen to obliterate all traces of his reign.
Significant portions of the mosaic remain underground.
Its upper section was sheared away when Roman engineers laid the brick arch foundations for Trajan's baths, while the lower edge has yet to be fully excavated.
"We are still digging to find where it stops," said Mr Pacetti.
Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri hailed the finds as "extraordinary" and "unique in the world," declaring: "We are giving this unique wonder back to the city."
Alongside the mosaic, archaeologists uncovered a companion 2,000-year-old fresco known as "The Painted City," depicting a walled Roman settlement complete with a theatre, an Apollo-topped temple, gilded statues adorning porticoed courtyards, and residential blocks detailed enough to distinguish individual window frames.
Together, the two works constitute the largest known mosaic complex on earth.
Claudio Parisi Presicce, Rome's superintendent of archaeology, described the discoveries as "exceptional."
During an initial trial period this autumn, visitor groups will be limited to 15 at a time, allowing officials to assess how the fragile artwork withstands the humidity generated by crowds before broader public access is permitted.
