page_title: Torre del Greco
section_title: Ancient period
hierarchical_section_title: Torre del Greco / History / Ancient period
caption_attribution_description: English: Paln of Villa Sora
context_page_description: Torre del Greco is a comune in the Metropolitan City of Naples in Italy, with a population of c. 85,000 as of 2016. The locals are sometimes called Corallini because of the once plentiful coral in the nearby sea, and because the city has been a major producer of coral jewellery and cameo brooches since the seventeenth century.
context_section_description: Historically part of Magna Graecia, the area was first colonised by ancient Greek settlers. In Roman times, Torre del Greco was probably a suburb of Herculaneum and, like alsewhere on the Bay of Naples such as at Oplontis and Stabiae, many patrician's villas would have lined the coast. In 79 AD the eruption of Vesuvius buried the area under volcanic ash. 
  The nearby Roman Villa Sora was a large and sumptuous residence overlooking the sea from its 150m-long frontage, dating from the 1st c. BC, whose excavated remains can be seen today. It was built on multiple levels like the Villa of the Papyri and on the beach below are the remains of a Roman bath complex (Terme Ginnasi) and quays would have been on the shore. It was embellished in the early imperial period and was being renovated in 79 AD probably after the 62 AD earthquake as shown by the piles of lime in some rooms, unfinished precious opus sectile floors made of imported marble and a famous graffito which recorded the cost of the work.
  Many exquisite statues and frescos were found here firstly in the Bourbon excavations of the 1700s which are now in the museums such as Naples and the Palermo. Its size and quality implies it belonged to an important figure, possibly of the Imperial family judging by the spectacular frescoes which during the excavations of 1989 the area inspector considered closer to the Neronian Domus Aurea than to Pompeian houses.
  It was rediscovered in 1974 by the GAV Archaeological Group. Further excavations in 1989–92 exposed the areas east and west of the apsidal hall, including service corridors, reception rooms, finely decorated bedrooms and the remains visible today. It was found that the top floor collapsed following the eruption while the bottom floor was buried by the ash. The middle floor can be visited today.
caption: Plan of Villa Sora
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