This Roman Villa lies near Piazza Armerina, in Central Sicily. It's a fine location for a countryside villa. I was expecting crowds but was lucky enough to be able to slowly do the rounds almost on my own. The villa is really large, and the mosaics are everywhere.

The 'Bikini Girls' - women athletes - are a set of ten mosaics in two rows in very good condition. The girls are performing exercises, from weightlifting to a ball game. One of them is about to be awarded the palm of victory. Other highlights include the Corridor of the Great Hunt, a long passageway covered with an elaborate hunting scene, and the Triclinium where mythical scenes are depicted including a bloody Battle of the Giants.

As mentioned in the ICOMOS report and various guidebooks, the mosaics are shielded under plexiglass covers. This has the effect of a greenhouse, possibly damaging the mosaics. One of the side effects also is that it creates rasters of shade on the mosaics, making it difficult to get sharp photographs.