Villa Augustea, the imperial heritage beneath Vesuvius

Just a few steps from the vineyards of Cantine Olivella, among the rows and the lava-stone walls, lies one of the most fascinating archaeological discoveries of the Vesuvian area: the Villa Augustea of Somma Vesuviana.

Dating back to the 1st century AD, this monumental villa was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 472 AD and has only recently reemerged beneath the cultivated fields of Mount Somma. The excavations, still underway, have brought to light colonnades, frescoes, mosaic floors, and a monumental thermal complex, bearing witness to the presence of an important residential estate from the imperial age.

A villa between vineyards and history

The most fascinating hypothesis is that the villa belonged to a member of the imperial family, perhaps even to Emperor Augustus himself. What makes this site unique is its context: an active agricultural area, still cultivated today, where ancient history coexists with modern viticulture.

Visiting the Villa Augustea means immersing yourself in a place suspended between nature, archaeology, and rural life. It is possible to book guided tours during the excavation campaigns, in collaboration with Italian and Japanese universities.

A treasure just a few steps from the winery

The Villa Augustea is located just a few hundred meters in a straight line from Cantine Olivella and is one of the clearest examples of the deep bond between this land and its millennia-old history. Here, wine—then as now—springs from a land that has always known how to tell its story.