The imperial villa of Punta Eolo (Ventotene) between archaeological evidence and geological assets in a conservation perspective

83
Alessand a PEGURRI(*), Fede ico FELIZIANI(**), Gugliemo GRECHI (**), Gian Ma co MARMONI(**),
Sal a o e MARTINO(**), Chia a ARRIGHI (***), Chia a DELPINO(***) & An onio F. FERRANDES(*)
(*)Sapienza Uni e si y o Rome - Ancien Wo ld S udies Depa men - Rome, I aly
(**)Sapienza Uni e si y o Rome - Ea h Sciences Depa men - Rome, I aly
(***)Sop in endenza A cheologia, Belle A i e Paesaggio (SABAP) o he p o inces o F osinone and La ina, I aly
Co esponding au ho : alessand a.pegu i@uni oma1.i
THE IMPERIAL VILLA OF PUNTA EOLO (VENTOTENE) BETWEEN
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE AND GEOLOGICAL ASSETS
IN A CONSERVATION PERSPECTIVE
ExTENDED ABSTRACT
L’isola di Ven o ene, pa e dell’A cipelago Pon ino, ospi a i es i di una son uosa esidenza omana impe iale si ua a a Pun a Eolo.
Dal 2023, ques ’a ea è uno degli o o si i pilo a del p oge o eu opeo EU-H2020 TRIQUETRA, mi a o alla conse azione del pa imonio
a cheologico minaccia o da enomeni id ogeologici. L’e osione cos ie a, l’azione del en o, le piogge e la o mazione di conc ezioni
saline s anno comp ome endo la s abili à delle s u u e e delle supe ici deco a e della illa. Il p oge o p e ede l’analisi delle in e a-
zioni a i a o i ambien ali e il si o a cheologico, con l’obie i o di s iluppa e s a egie di mi igazione applicabili a con es i simili.
Nel p esen e a icolo si desc i ono le indagini geologiche e a cheologiche condo e nel quad o del p oge o. Le analisi geologiche,
coo dina e dal Cen o di Rice ca pe il Rischio Geologico (CERI) della Sapienza Uni e si à di Roma, hanno pe messo di iden i ica e le
a ie uni à geologico-ingegne is iche e ami e misu azioni del umo e sismico ambien ale che hanno o ni o da i sulla s a i icazione
del so osuolo, e idenziando il con a o a la e e u i a ci ca 60 me i di p o ondi à e spesso i a iabili pe i deposi i di cope u a a 4 e
9 me i. Ques i isul a i sono ondamen ali pe comp ende e la ulne abili à del si o ai enomeni di e osione e disses o.
Pa allelamen e, le indagini a cheologiche condo e dal Dipa imen o di Scienze dell’An ichi à (DSA) della Sapienza Uni e si à di
Roma e dalla Sop in endenza A cheologia, Belle A i e Paesaggio pe le p o ince di F osinone e La ina (SABAP FR-LT) si sono con-
cen a e sull’analisi s u u ale della illa. La documen azione del complesso è s a a aggio na a median e ilie i o og amme ici ad al a
isoluzione, gene ando o o o o geo e e enzia e, modelli digi ali di supe icie (DSM) e una de aglia a icos uzione idimensionale.
L’analisi dell’asse o a chi e onico della illa di Pun a Eolo ha e idenzia o una complessa sequenza s a ig a ica con una se ie di asi
edilizie da abili a la a da e à epubblicana e la ine del I secolo d.C. Pa icola e a enzione è s a a dedica a alla mappa u a delle a ie
ecniche edilizie e dello s a o di conse azione degli in onaci e delle pa imen azioni, documen a i median e ilie i g a ici e in eg azione
all’in e no di un sis ema GIS. L’e osione del suolo, a o i a da p eg esse a i i à es a i e di epoca bo bonica e dall’azione dell’acqua
me eo ica, è s a a indi idua a come una delle cause p incipali delle a u azioni iscon a e nei se o i esidenziali della illa.
Al ine del p oge o sono s a e condo e una se ie di analisi chimico- isiche e meccaniche sui ma e iali cos u i i, ol e alla
de inizione di in e en i di conse azione mi a i. Le indagini e mome iche su supe ici mu a ie con i es imen i hanno pe messo di
moni o a e le lu uazioni di empe a u a e umidi à, men e la accol a di campioni di in onaci e mal e, coo dina a dalla Sop in endenza,
ha lo scopo di es a e p odo i conse a i i compa ibili con le ca a e is iche geologiche e clima iche del si o.
Il la o o qui p esen a o me e in luce l’app occio in e disciplina e ado a o nel p oge o TRIQUETRA che si onda sull’in eg azione
dei da i a cheologici e geologici pe s iluppa e s a egie di conse azione sos enibili. Le me odologie applica e sul si o en o enese di
Pun a Eolo, inol e, possono esse e es ese ad al i con es i a cheologici ca a e izza i da analoghe c i ici à id ogeologiche, con ibuendo
alla u ela del pa imonio cul u ale in ambien i ad al a ulne abili à.
I alian Jou nal o Enginee ing Geology and En i onmen
www.ijege.uni oma1.i
IJEGE, Special Issue 1 (2025): 83-93, DOI: 10.4408/IJEGE.2025-01.S-06
E-ISSN 2035-5688 | ISSN 1825-6635 / ©Au ho (s)
84 I alian Jou nal o Enginee ing Geology and En i onmen , Special Issue 1 (2025) www.ijege.uni oma1.i
A. PEGURRI, F. FELIZIANI, G. GRECHI, G. M. MARMONI, S. MARTINO, C. ARRIGHI, C. DELPINO & A. F. FERRANDES
ABSTRACT
The island o Ven o ene, pa o he Pon ine A chipelago, is
home o he emains o an impe ial Roman illa a Pun a Eolo
p omon o y, a si e h ea ened by se e e hyd o-geological isks.
Since 2023, his si e has been a key ocus o he EU-H2020
TRIQUETRA P ojec , which aims o analyze and mi iga e
en i onmen al h ea s o cul u al he i age. The esea ch in eg a es
geological and a chaeological in es iga ions, combining high-
esolu ion pho og amme y, geophysical su eys, and ma e ial
analysis o assess he si e’s condi ions. Geological s udies e eal
a complex s a ig aphy o la a and u o ma ions, in luencing
coas al e osion and landslides, which endange bo h he si e and
i s his o ical s uc u es. A chaeological su eys eassess he illa’s
a chi ec u al e olu ion, iden i ying mul iple cons uc ion phases
and p e iously undocumen ed ea u es. The p ojec also e alua es
ma e ial deg ada ion, pa icula ly in wall plas e s, escoes, and
pa emen s, co ela ing de e io a ion pa e ns wi h en i onmen al
s esso s. Th ough GIS-based mapping and labo a o y es ing o
building ma e ials, he s udy aims o de elop ailo ed conse a ion
s a egies, ensu ing he long- e m sa egua ding o his in aluable
si e. The TRIQUETRA P ojec ep esen s a mul idisciplina y e o
o es ablish conse a ion models applicable o o he he i age si es
acing simila geological and clima ic challenges.
Keywo ds: cul u al he i age, a chaeology, geological isk, cons e a ion
s a egies.
Fig. 1 - Loca ion o he islands o Ven o ene and San o S e ano in cen al Ty henian I aly and dis ibu ion o he main a chaeological emains on he islands
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THE IMPERIAL VILLA OF PUNTA EOLO (VENTOTENE) BETWEEN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE AND GEOLOGICAL ASSETS
IN A CONSERVATION PERSPECTIVE
INTRODUCTION
The island o Ven o ene, pa o he Pon ine A chipelago, hos s
he emains o an ex ensi e and luxu ious Roman esidence, once
belonging o he impe ial amily, loca ed a he no he nmos poin
o he island, on he Pun a Eolo p omon o y (Fig. 1). Since 2023,
his a ea has been selec ed as one o he eigh pilo si es o he EU-
H2020 TRIQUETRA P ojec (h ps:// ique a-p ojec .eu/).
The inclusion o he Pun a Eolo impe ial illa (‘di Giulia’)
in he p ojec was d i en by he signi ican hyd o-geological
h ea s acing he si e, which a e inc easingly comp omising i s
conse a ion. A combina ion o en i onmen al ac o s – including
wind, ain all, sea s o ms, sal conc e ions, daily and seasonal
empe a u e luc ua ions, soil e osion, and landslides – a e g adually
deg ading he si e’s s uc u es and deco a i e co e ings ( escoes,
plas e s and pa emen s), exposing ounda ions in se e al sec o s.
To add ess hese conse a ion challenges, he p ojec builds
upon he analysis o he complex physical, chemical, and
mechanical in e ac ions be ween he a chaeological componen s
and he en i onmen al s esso s. These in es iga ions a e
essen ial o de eloping mi iga ion s a egies ha can also be
applied o o he si es wi h simila hyd ogeological dynamics.
In pu sui o his goal, geological in es iga ions a e led by
he Resea ch Cen e o Geological Risk (CERI) o Sapienza,
while a chaeological esea ch is managed by he Depa men
o Ancien Wo ld S udies (DSA) o he Uni e si y o Rome
Sapienza and he Sop in endenza A cheologia, Belle A i e
Paesaggio o he p o inces o F osinone and La ina (SABAP
FR-LT). These eams collabo a e closely, combining hei
expe ise o add ess he mul i ace ed challenges posed by he
si e, and in eg a ing hei e o s in o a uni ied conse a ion
s a egy ( i s esul s in Feliziani e alii, 2024).
As pa o his collabo a i e app oach, he condi ions o he
si e ha e been ini ially documen ed h ough high- esolu ion
pho og amme ic su eys, which p oduced a geo e e enced
o hopho o mosaic, a Digi al Su ace Model (DSM), and a de ailed
3D econs uc ion (Fig. 2). These ca og aphic p oduc s o m he
ounda ion o he mo phological analysis o he p omon o y and
i s e idence, enabling p ecise spa ial and al ime ic in e p e a ions.
Fig. 2 - Pun a Eolo. a) O hopho o mosaic; b) DSM hillshade; c) DSM ele a ion model; d) Sou hwes iew o he 3D model
86 I alian Jou nal o Enginee ing Geology and En i onmen , Special Issue 1 (2025) www.ijege.uni oma1.i
A. PEGURRI, F. FELIZIANI, G. GRECHI, G. M. MARMONI, S. MARTINO, C. ARRIGHI, C. DELPINO & A. F. FERRANDES
THE GEOLOGICAL AND GEOMORPHOLOGICAL
ASSETS (SM-GG)
Toge he wi h Ponza, Palma ola and Zannone, Ven o ene
and San o S e ano belong o he Pon ine A chipelago, a
g oup o small islands loca ed abou 50 km o he Gae a
coas . App oxima ely 2800 m long and a maximum o 800 m
wide, he island o Ven o ene has an a ea o 1.54 km2 and i is
dis inguished by o og aphy ha gen ly slopes no hwa ds om
i s highes poin o M . A co (139 m a.s.l.).
Ven o ene and S. S e ano islands ep esen he summi o a
la ge s a o olcano buil du ing he las 800k yea s, loca ed on
he sou he n edge o he Ven o ene basin (Pe o a e alii, 1996),
which had o each a maximum heigh o 800 m.
The Ven o ene island is composed by basal ic o achy ic
la as (0.80–0.48 My s; Me ich e alii, 1988) uncon o mably
co e ed by py oclas ic p oduc s e up ed du ing he las 0.2
My s (Me ich e alii, 1988) ha nowadays o m a u
pla eau sligh ly dipping owa d NE. The younges membe is
ep esen ed by he so-called “Pa a a G ande Tu ” (PGT) and i
p edominan ly c ops ou in he no he nmos sec o o he island
whe e he Villa Giulia a chaeological si e is loca ed. Because o
he s a ig aphic se ing, he island’s coas al p o ile is i egula
and domina ed by e ical cli s locally in e up ed by pocke
beaches like Cala Rossano and Cala Na e.
Feliziani e alii (2024) concep ualized an enginee ing-
geological model o he Pun a Eolo p omon o y and ecognizing
i e enginee ing-geological uni s:
• La as Uni (LU). I is he basal uni abo e which all he
s a ig aphic succession is placed.
• Tu s Uni (TU). I is he dominan uni c opping ou in he
s udy a ea.
• Eolian Uni (EU). Composed by sands al e na ing wi h sal -
enc us ed ho izons.
• Elu ial-Collu ial Uni (ECU). This membe is ep esen ed
by wea he ed ma e ial and by de i al deposi s mainly
anspo ed by unning wa e s and ill channels.
• An h opic Uni (AU), cons i u ed bo h by he a chaeological
emains o he Villa Giulia complex and by he was e
deposi s o he di e en a chaeological exca a ions ca ied
ou in he a ea.
En i onmen al seismic noise measu emen s p ocessed wi h he
spec al a io echnique p oposed by Nakamu a (1989) we e ca ied
ou in he a ea o he a chaeological si e o Villa Giulia in o de o
cons ain he hicknesses o he a o emen ioned geological uni s
(Feliziani e alii, 2024). The esul s de ail he la a- u s’ con ac a
a dep h o app oxima ely 60 m om he g ound le el, and e eal
co e deposi (i.e., ECU and AU) hicknesses be ween 4 and 9 m.
While he p esence o co e deposi s p o ec s he
a chaeological emains (no ye exca a ed o me ely co e ed o
p o ec hem om he wea he ), i also a ou s he de elopmen
o a ma ked d ainage ne wo k. Ac ually, he de elopmen o ills
and gullies is encou aged by he o e lap o hese e odible uni s
abo e he bed ock (TU), which channels he uno wa e s and
exposes he ancien emains o e osi e p ocesses.
Many landslides s uck he bounda ies o he island, depic ing
a p edominan p ocess in e ms o coas al e ea and geological
isk in gene al. The local li ho- echnical s uc u e de e mines he
equency and in ensi y o he cu en coas al e osion phenomena.
The sou he n sec o o he island expe iences a lowe a e o e ea
due o he la as ha comp ise he basal po ion o he cli s being
less e odible, whe eas he no he n quad an , whe e he coas al
cli s a e composed o py oclas ic p oduc s, expe iences a much
highe a e o e ea . The kinema ic compa ibili y o oppling,
plana sliding and ock wedge sliding (Hung e alii, 2014) is
admi ed by he p esence o p ima y join s (gene a ed by he
gene ic cooling o he py oclas ic p oduc s) and seconda y join s,
mos ly con olled by pa ie al de ensioning phenomena o coas al
cills. Sea s o ms a e one o he a ious condi ioning ac o s ha
p epa e landslides by p omo ing he o ma ion o o e hangs ha
p ime he sys em o la ge -scale g a i y collapses.
These g a i a ional phenomena, in many cases, ep esen
an impo an geohaza d sou ce as hey can expose o dange
elemen s on he island, including he popula ion, he his o ical-
cul u al and a chaeological he i age, and ela ed ou is ac i i ies.
The conse a ion o Roman cul u al he i age, including he
ancien po and Villa Giulia, which a e cu en ly p o ec ed by
he SABAP FR-LT, has been unde mined by landslides in ecen
imes. Gi en he a chaeological si e’s a chi ec u al layou , in
ac , he Villa Giulia mus ha e been la ge , pa icula ly in he
esiden ial a ea. Acco ding o De Rossi (2019), he impe ial
building’s wa e supply was illed ia unde g ound aqueduc
cons uc ions, and he en ance and se ice oadways we e mos
likely si ua ed on he wes side o he complex. None o hese
buildings emain oday, indica ing ha he sec ion o sho eline
whe e hey we e buil collapsed. Se e al landslides occu ed in
ecen imes along he wes e n lank o he p omon o y, such
as he one o he Cimi e o, ha comp omised he accessibili y
o he monumen al island’s ceme e y (Fig. 3). O he landslides
unde mined he accessibili y and sa e y o beaches like Cala
Rossano o Pa a a G ande, o e en buildings o p i a e use, as
occu ed in he Cala Na e a ea (Rube i e alii., 2020).
THE ARCHEOLOGICAL SETTING OF THE
ISLAND AND OF THE IMPERIAL VILLA
Be ween he 1980s and 2006, he island o Ven o ene was he
ocus o ex ensi e a chaeological in es iga ions and esea ch.
These e o s led o he disco e y, analysis, and documen a ion o
nume ous a chaeological emains, bo h on land and unde wa e .
Ca ied ou unde he supe ision o he cu en SABAP FR-LT,
much o his wo k was di ec ed by Gio anni Ma ia De Rossi,
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THE IMPERIAL VILLA OF PUNTA EOLO (VENTOTENE) BETWEEN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE AND GEOLOGICAL ASSETS
IN A CONSERVATION PERSPECTIVE
p o esso o Ancien I alian Topog aphy a he Uni e si y o
Sale no. De Rossi, who passed away in 2019, de o ed a signi ican
pa o his academic ca ee (De Rossi 1980; 1984; 1986; 1999;
2000; 2006; 2019; De Rossi & Medaglia 2018) o s udying he
a chaeological he i age o he island and he Pon ine A chipelago.
His con ibu ions le a p o ound impac on bo h he academic
communi y and he local popula ion.
The impe ial illa o Pun a Eolo is conside ed he ocal poin
o ancien Ven o ene. Su ounding his complex a e addi ional
a chaeological ea u es, including esiden ial pa ilions, a
sophis ica ed wa e managemen sys em, na u al and a i icial
ha bou s wi h docks, ishponds, nymphaea, cul a eas, ombs,
and possibly a ligh house (Fig. 1). This esidence, in amously
associa ed wi h he exile and dea hs o p ominen women om
he Julio-Claudian and Fla ian dynas ies, is mos amously
linked o Julia, he eldes daugh e o Augus us. Julia was exiled
he e o i e yea s s a ing in 2 BCE, a connec ion ha inspi ed
he si e’s cu en name, Villa ‘di Giulia’.
The complex exempli ies he illa a padiglioni a chi ec u al
asse (La on, 2001), cha ac e ised by pa ilion-like s uc u es
ha moniously in eg a ed in o he landscape while main aining a
luxu y and p es ige en i onmen . Spanning o e ou hec a es,
he complex in luenced he an h opized pa s o he island,
excluding he sou he n hi d. I s layou comp ises h ee main
sec ions (Fig. 4): he Access A ea (A) nea Cala Rossano, he
Residen ial A ea (B), and he Se ice A ea (C), in e connec ed
by amps and e aces in a con igu a ion eminiscen o o he
g and ma i ime illas along he Campanian-La ial coas .
The Residen ial A ea (B), loca ed on he no he n edge o a u
pla eau o e looking he sea, was cen ed a ound a no h-sou h axis.
Access was likely h ough an elonga ed space, possibly a xys us
(II), adjacen o a se ies o ichly deco a ed ec angula ooms
likely used o ecep ions (De Vos & Mau ina, 2023: 22-131).
The cen al a ea (III) opened in o a la ge pe is yle o i ida ium
(IV), su ounded by colonnaded po icoes and ea u ing an apse
a he no he n end. This led h ough a ansi ional a ea (V) o
a semici cula bel ede e (VI) wi h d ama ic sea iews, possibly
used as a banque hall ( iclinium).
To he wes o he cen al block, wo addi ional sec o s,
o a ed 35° om he main axis, we e connec ed by s epped
pa hways, possibly p o iding access o he sea o a mid-slope
pa h be ween 12-16 m a.s.l. Howe e , Bou bon-e a qua ying
ac i i ies, which ga e he p omon o y i s e aced appea ance,
ha e obscu ed he p ecise layou and ex en o hese ea u es.
The sou hwes e n co ne housed an elegan balneum (VII),
wi h a la ge esiden ial apa men (VIII) o i s no h.
This a ea may ha e accommoda ed some o he illa’s
inhabi an s, including women sen enced o elega io ad insulam.
On he con a y, he unde s anding o he eas e n pa o he
complex is unce ain, due o signi ican damage om qua ying
and ongoing hyd ogeological challenges.
In he sou he n pa o he p omon o y, he Se ice A ea
(C) o he illa was loca ed comp ising a seconda y ec angula
s uc u e. O iginally comp ising 42 ooms a anged a ound an
open cou ya d, wi h wo cis e ns o he wes , his building’s
simplici y in design – whi e plas e walls, ic ile-based conc e e
pa emen s loo s - and i s pa allels wi h o he coas al illas
sugges i unc ioned as an e gas ulum o housing o he esidence
s a . Suppo ing his in e p e a ion, nea ly 4,000 essels and
anspo ampho ae we e disco e ed in he abandonmen laye s
da ing o he la e 1s cen u y CE (Fe andes e alii, 2023). The
cis e ns wi hin he Se ice A ea o med pa o a sophis ica ed
ainwa e collec ion and dis ibu ion ne wo k ha se ed he
en i e island. This sys em, including he la ge ‘Ca ce a i’ and
‘Villa S e ania’ cis e ns, supplied he impe ial esidence and
associa ed acili ies, such as he ha bou s a Cala Rossano, Cala
Na e, and he a i icial po wi h i s docks (De Rossi, 2019).
Following a phase o analysis, su eying, and s udy du ing
he 1980s, o mal exca a ions a Pun a Eolo began in 1990,
ocusing on he Residen ial A ea. Funded by he Regione
Lazio, hese e o s we e ollowed be ween 1992 and 1996 by
es o a ion wo k in he sou hwes e n sec o , pa icula ly he
balneum, as pa o plans o es ablish an A chaeological Pa k.
The mos ecen sys ema ic a chaeological campaign ook place
be ween 2001 and 2006 (wi h a b eak in 2003), ocusing on he
Se ice A ea and he sou he n a ea o he Residen ial one. All
hese p e ious wo ks yielded aluable bu incomple e insigh s
in o he illa’s a chi ec u al s uc u e and e olu ion.
In 2021, he DSA and SABAP signed an ag eemen o analyse
Fig. 3 - Mos impo an landslidesoccu edon hewes e n lanko  he
Pun a Eolo p omon o y: a) Cimi e o landslide; ock oppling be-
o e (b) and a e (c) he ac i a ion

88 I alian Jou nal o Enginee ing Geology and En i onmen , Special Issue 1 (2025) www.ijege.uni oma1.i
A. PEGURRI, F. FELIZIANI, G. GRECHI, G. M. MARMONI, S. MARTINO, C. ARRIGHI, C. DELPINO & A. F. FERRANDES
Fig. 4 - Pun aEolo,Villao Giulia.Loca ionandlayou o  hea easo  hecomplexiden i iedon hep omon o y.A  he op igh ,ade ailed iewo  he
Residen ial A ea o he illa wi h i s di ision in o sec o s (I-VIII)
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THE IMPERIAL VILLA OF PUNTA EOLO (VENTOTENE) BETWEEN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE AND GEOLOGICAL ASSETS
IN A CONSERVATION PERSPECTIVE
and publish indings om ea lie in es iga ions on Ven o ene.
This esea ch has e-examined s a ig aphy, s uc u es, and
deco a ions, leading o a e ised unde s anding o he Pun a Eolo
illa’s de elopmen . A leas i e main building phases, some wi h
sub-phases based on deco a i e analysis, ha e been iden i ied,
e lec ing he si e’s p ominence om he la e1s cen u y BCE o
i s abandonmen in he la e 1s cen u y CE.
In 2023 he ad en o he TRIQUETRA P ojec ma ked
a signi ican ad ancemen in he esea ch on he Pun a Eolo
p omon o y, wi h u he and in e disciplina y in es iga ions
poised o deepen unde s anding o his ema kable si e.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE
TRIQUETRA PROJECT
As pa o he p ojec , a chaeological in es iga ions on he
p omon o y ha e p ima ily ocused on analysing he complex
and i s componen s. Beyond enhancing he unde s anding
o he monumen ’s s uc u al complexi y, he main goal was
o p o ide a scien i ic basis o de eloping conse a ion
s a egies compa ible wi h he na u e o he a chaeological
e idence and he a ea’s cu en hyd o-geological dynamics.
The e iew o he a ailable a chaeological documen a ion,
mainly composed o published elemen s (De Rossi & Medaglia,
2018; De Rossi, 2019; Vos & Mau ina, 2023) wi h occasional
a chi al sou ces, e ealed a lack o de ailed documen a ion
conce ning he illa’s a chaeological ea u es. Fu he mo e, he
su ace cleaning ope a ions conduc ed in 2023-24 e ealed he pa ial
incomple eness o he p e iously execu ed planime ic su ey.
All hese elemen s enhanced he need o a enewed examina ion
o he illa’s a chi ec u al layou h ough s uc u al eassessmen
and he iden i ica ion o p e iously undocumen ed a chi ec u al
elemen s. The c ea ion o an upda ed si e plan has he e o e been
a undamen al s ep o de eloping he conse a ion s a egies
a ge ed by he TRIQUETRA P ojec . An upda ed documen a ion
o he conse a ion s a us o he s uc u es and wall co e ings has
been p oduced h ough high esolu ion pho og amme ic su eys
and ield in es iga ions. The collec ed da a we e eco ded in a GIS
en i onmen , allowing o he gene a ion o speci ic hema ic maps.
In ela ion o his ac i i y, he mapping o s uc u es and in
si u wall co e ings is unde way (Fig. 5). The illa o Pun a Eolo,
which unde wen mul iple cons uc ion phases be ween he la e
Republican pe iod and he end o he 1s cen u y CE, ea u es
a complex s a i ica ion e lec ed in he al e na ion o di e en
mason y echniques ( u ashla s, opus e icula um, es aceum
and mix um) and ma e ials (b own and yellow u , b oken
iles, and whi e aeolian s ones in some ounda ions). Acco ding
o De Rossi’s in e p e a ion, he opus e icula um s uc u es
wi h egula b own u cubilia belong o he o iginal ea ly
Augus an phase (De Rossi, 1999: 31), al hough he p esence o
an ea lie complex is sugges ed by esco agmen s ound in
pos deposi ional laye s and da ed o he la e Republican/p o o-
Augus an pe iod (De Vos & Mau ina, 2023: 410).
Signi ican emodelling is e iden in he balneum (VII) and
in nume ous wall closu es, sugges ing changes in he in e nal
ci cula ion o he illa and i s ooms, alongside s ylis ic a ia ions
in he co e ings e ealed by a ecen monog aphic publica ion
(De Vos & Mau ina, 2023). The s udy o a chaeological
s uc u es conduc ed wi hin he T ique a P ojec enables he
da ing o he cons uc ion o he balneum o he Tibe ian Age, as
well as he eshaping o he cis e ns loca ed in he wes e n pa
o he complex wi hin he Se ice A ea.
Rega ding wall co e ings, he emaining in si u plas e s
and escoes ha e been mapped (Fig. 5) and he eco ding
o hei conse a ion s a e is unde going, wi h g aphical
documen a ion whe e possible o allow long- e m condi ion
moni o ing. Compa isons wi h pho og aphic eco ds om
p e ious in es iga ions ha e e ealed signi ican plas e
de e io a ion o e he pas wo decades (Fig. 7d).
Conce ning he loo ing, h ee main ypes ha e been iden i ied
(Fig. 6): ic ile-based conc e e pa emen s, some imes co e ed wi h
a colou ed laye (o en och e) and occasionally wi h li hic inse s;
small- and medium- esse a mosaics; and opus sec ile. Addi ionally,
he sub- loo ing o hea ed ooms belonging o he ba hs consis s
o b oken iles and bipedales. No ably, in se e al illa sec o s
he p esence o a leas wo pa emen deco a i e phases has been
obse ed. The mapping o hese loo co e ing ypes, in e ms o
bo h conse a ion s a us and dis ibu ion ac oss he sec o s, will
aid in unde s anding he possible spa ial hie a chy and a ia ions
o e ime. Addi ionally, he speci ic coa ings equi ed o he
conse a ion o each pa emen ype depend on hei unique
composi ion, including bo h he ma e ials and echniques used.
Beyond s uc u al su eys, a ious es s on he ma e ials
used o mason y and co e ings a e being conduc ed. The
CERI eam is pe o ming mechanical, physical, and chemical
analyses o local u a ie ies. In his ega d, i is impo an o
s ess ha , being he same u used in he illa’s cons uc ion,
he esul s o hese es s con ibu e o he unde s anding o
he building ma e ials o de eloping conse a ion s a egies.
The mome ic su eys ha e also been conduc ed on selec ed
walls wi h co e ings o moni o hei esponse o cu en
clima ic condi ions, including humidi y and empe a u e
luc ua ions. Finally, he collec ion o wall-co e ing and
cons uc ion ma e ial samples ac oss he illa has been
coo dina ed by SABAP FR-LT o labo a o y es ing aimed
a de eloping compa ible conse a ion p oduc s speci ically
designed o add ess he si e’s ulne abili ies. These es s
include assessing wea he esis ance, in e ac ion wi h sal
deposi s, and mi iga ion capaci y agains hyd o-geological
deg ada ion, c ucial ac o s o long- e m si e conse a ion.
All ongoing in es iga ions desc ibed abo e - aligned wi h
90 I alian Jou nal o Enginee ing Geology and En i onmen , Special Issue 1 (2025) www.ijege.uni oma1.i
A. PEGURRI, F. FELIZIANI, G. GRECHI, G. M. MARMONI, S. MARTINO, C. ARRIGHI, C. DELPINO & A. F. FERRANDES
Fig. 5 - Pun a Eolo, Villa o Giulia. Thema ic plan o he s uc u es wi h he loca ion o in si u wall co e ings in he wes e n po ion o he Residen ial
A ea (B, III, VII-VIII)
91
I alian Jou nal o Enginee ing Geology and En i onmen , 1 (2025) www.ijege.uni oma1.i
THE IMPERIAL VILLA OF PUNTA EOLO (VENTOTENE) BETWEEN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE AND GEOLOGICAL ASSETS
IN A CONSERVATION PERSPECTIVE
Fig. 6 - Pun a Eolo, Villa o Giulia. Thema ic plan o he pa emen co e ings in he wes e n pa o he Residen ial A ea (B. III, VII-VIII)