This famous Roman commander died trying to help victims of Vesuvius, and researchers believe they have found his ancient villa – Chip Chick

A large ancient villa was unearthed during the construction of a playground as part of an urban renewal project in southern Italy, and researchers from the Italian Ministry of Culture suspect that it may have belonged to Pliny the Elder, a famous Roman author, naturalist and philosopher.

Pliny the Elder was celebrated for his role as a naval and army commander in the Roman Empire. He also wrote Natural Historyan encyclopedic work detailing the events of the Roman period. He died trying to help victims of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD

The site where the structure was found was once the ancient Roman port city of Misenum. Today it is a city called Bacoli, which lies near the Bay of Naples.

The villa was located on a cliff with stunning views of the gulf and the surrounding coast.

Previously, the area was occupied by Lido Piranha, an illegal beach development.

The large complex featured ten spacious rooms, several outdoor terraces and a distinctive masonry made of diamond-shaped blocks arranged in a decorative “net-like” pattern.

Experts believe the villa may have been over 300 feet long and was built sometime in the 1st century AD. The site also contained a stone dock that served as an important Roman port, albeit about 13 feet below sea level.

Pliny the Elder lived in a villa in the region, but there is not enough solid evidence to prove that the newly discovered building was actually his residence.

However, the seaside location would have been an ideal home for the scholar. The villa’s location not only offered a front-row seat to spectacular scenery, but also a 360-degree view of the Bay of Naples, which would have been helpful for military strategy.

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