To date, archaeological research on Villa A from Dragoncello (Acilia) was carried out in three campaignes, in 2016, 2017 and 2019, within the activities of the Chair of Archaeologic Research Methodology (Prof. G. Olcese) at Sapienza - Università di Roma (2016, 2017) and then at Università degli Studi di Milano. The area lies between the sea, the Tiber and Ostia and is of great interest. In the Roman period, it was residential, populated by aristocratic villas and rural settlements. The recent research is the continuation of excavations in the area begun by A. Pellegrino in the 1980s.

During the 2016 campaign, excavations were carried out on the villa’s peristyle, in the northwest sector (A) and, simultane-ously, at the southern edge (B). In Sector A, wall structures of various types were identified. These can be attributed to five different rooms (V, W, X, Y, Z), and at least four moments in life (from the end of the 2nd century B.C. to the beginning of the 3rd century A.D.). The 2017 expedition concentrated on structures located north of the peristyle. Inside rooms X, Y and T, a necropolis came to light, consisting of five tombs. At the same time, room V was excavated. Here a wide, rectangular structure was discov-ered, one that is very interesting: it is subdivided into small cells, arranged in rows of twelve along the two longer sides. During the 2019 campaign, the excavation of the room V was continued and a new sector along the south-east side of the villa was brought to light.

The campaigns offered an important opportunity to review the data from the sites and the materials of Dragoncello, and have resulted in new insights into the area’s redevelopment.

The continuation of the excavation is currently in preparation.