Roman villa at Ramla Bay, Gozo

Abstract

The Maltese Islands are studded with the remains of buildings belonging to the era when Malta was under the sway of Rome. Most of these buildings can legitimately be called "villas" because they were sited away from the cities, in the heart of the countryside or by the seaside. It is important to note, however, that there are essentially two types of Roman villas. The first type in modern terms would be called a "farmstead" and consisted of a building incorporating rooms for habitation and others for agricultural activity, such as the extraction of olive oil This in Roman times was generally called the "villa rustica" a description of which is given by Cato the Elder in his treatise De agricultura.