Domvs Romana, Ir-Rabat, Malta

The Domvs Romana is a ruined Roman-era house located on the boundary between Mdina and Rabat, Malta. It was built in the 1st century BC as an aristocratic town house (domus) within the Roman city of Melite. In the 11th century, a Muslim cemetery was established on the remains of the domus. The site was discovered in 1881, and archaeological excavations revealed several well preserved Roman mosaics, statues and other artifacts, as well as a number of tombstones and other remains from the cemetery. Since 1882, the site has been open to the public as a museum, which is currently run by Heritage Malta

The small museum of the Domvs Romana is built around the remains of a rich, aristocratic roman town house (domvs) which was accidentally discovered in 1881. Although very little remains from the house itself, the intricate mosaics which survived for centuries as well as the artefacts found within the remains are testimony enough of the original richness and story of this fantastic abode.

The building housing the remains of the domvs was partly built immediately after the first excavation to protect the uncovered mosaics. It is thus the first building in the Maltese Islands to have been purposely built to protect and house an archaeological site and collection. The entrance to this small museum was through the side road (the room now housing the museum shop) and it only covered the peristyle and the two adjacent mosaics. Most of the Roman artefacts and antiquities, including the few remaining marble pieces scattered in the streets of Mdina were transferred to this museum, which was officially opened to the public in February 1882. Throughout the years the Museum continued to hold Roman material and it soon became an open storage space for all the Roman artefacts found around the Island.

The first plans to enlarge the building were made in 1906 but these were superseded by the plans made by architect Galizia in 1922. These plans, which included the addition of a facade with a triangular pediment and a large rectangular display room, resulted in the Museum that still stands today. The then Museum of Roman Antiquities has seen various renovations both to the structure and the original mosaics. It was closed during World War II and was afterwards used as a small centre for restoration. It was re-opened to the public in 1945. The mosaic of the peristyle underwent a big restoration project in the second half of the 20th century. During this restoration, the mosaic was lifted into panels and placed onto cement slabs. Unfortunately the metal rods placed in the cement are now corroding causing considerable damage to the mosaic itself. As a result, Heritage Malta, with the help of its conservators and a renowned mosaic specialist, is currently carrying out a detailed state of conservation report which will also present the methodology required to repair the mosaics with little or no damage. The display of the museum also saw two extensive renovation drives between 2002 and 2005, when the display was changed from the Victorian-style one to a more modern one, and again in 2011.

The current Museum building does not only preserve some of the most precious Roman remains but also allows visitors to get a glimpse of life in a Roman domestic household. Apart from showing the complex history of the site, the current museum display is in fact designed to take the visitor through the various aspects of a Roman family and household with aspects ranging from the actual division of roles in a Roman family, to fashion, education, entertainment, food and drink.

Roman house
The Domvs Romana is believed to have been built in the beginning of the 1st century BC, and it remained in use until the 2nd century AD. The house had a colonnaded peristyle inspired by ancient Greek architecture, and its best features are the well-made polychrome Hellenistic style mosaics found in the peristyle and the surrounding rooms, which show decorative motifs or mythological scenes. Two types of tesserae were employed: opus vermiculatum, in the centre of the pavement; opus tessellatum, larger tesserae to create three-dimensional designs all around the main image. The picture sought to imitate a highly popular motif which may be first painted by an artist from Sophos. The domus also shows fine painted wall plaster imitating coloured marbles and showing partly stylized architectural elements which would place them somewhere between the 1st and 2nd Pompeian Styles.

Although the house was mostly destroyed over time, its mosaics have survived largely intact, and they are comparable with those found at Pompeii or Sicily. A number of 1st century AD statues of the imperial Roman family, along with coins, glassware, tableware, bath accessories, amphorae and other fine artifacts have also been found in the domus.

Muslim cemetery
In the 11th century, while Malta was part of the Fatimid Caliphate, the site of the domus was converted into a cemetery. At least 245 burials were discovered during the excavations, which also unearthed a number of limestone (and one marble) tombstones with Naskh or Kufic inscriptions. Some ceramics and a silver ring were also found during the excavations.

Discovery and excavations
The Domvs Romana was discovered accidentally in 1881 by workers during a landscaping project. It was subsequently excavated by the leading archaeologists of the time, including Antonio Annetto Caruana, Sir Themistocles Zammit, Robert V. Galea, Harris Dunscombe Colt and Louis Upton Way.

Museum
After the domus was first excavated, a museum was built on the site of the peristyle of the house in order to preserve its mosaics. The museum opened in February 1882, and it was the first building in Malta that was constructed specifically to house a museum of a particular archaeological site. The museum was originally known as the Museum of Roman Antiquities, and apart from the mosaics and other Roman or Muslim artifacts uncovered from the domus, it also exhibited some other Roman marble pieces which were found in the streets of Mdina. Eventually, many Roman artifacts found elsewhere in Malta were transferred to this museum.

In 1922, the museum was enlarged to designs by the architect Galizia,[clarification needed] and a neoclassical façade and a large display room were added. The remains of the domus were included on the Antiquities List of 1925. The museum closed during World War II, and it housed a restoration centre before reopening to the public in 1945.

The mosaic of the peristyle was restored in the second half of the 20th century, but was unintentionally damaged in the process. Currently, Heritage Malta is carrying out a report on how to conserve the mosaic and repair it with as little damage as possible. The displays of the museum were renovated between 2002 and 2005, and again in 2011.