Roman Villa

The Roman villa of Desenzano, discovered in 1921, is the most important example in Northern Italy of the great late antiquity Villas. Built at the end of the first century BC, it had several phases until the first half of the fourth century AD. The villa overlooked the lake with docks, piers and possibly fish ponds for fish farming. With over 240 square metres of multicoloured mosaics of exquisite workmanship depicting scenes with cupids gathering grapes or chariot racing, maenads and satyrs, wild animals, allegories. It is possible that the owner was Flavius Magnus Decentius, brother of Magnenzio, hence the name of the city.