SOME OF THE MOSAICS IN THE RESIDENCE OF THE VILLA OWNERS
The mosaic - the bottom of the pool
The ancient villa "Armira" is the most richly decorated dwelling from the Roman era discovered in Bulgaria. In addition to marble decoration, various mosaics were also found in the corridors around the pool (peristyle), the vestibules and in all the northern rooms of the residence. The preserved originals of the mosaics cover an area of over 450 square meters. They were made in different periods of the ancient villa's existence. The earliest mosaics are from the 70s of the 1st century AD. AD, when the villa was founded. From this time are the floor mosaics in rooms 12 and 13, part of those in the peristyle and the floor mosaic of the first pool.
The mosaic - bottom of the pool is made entirely of white, marble cubes.
It refers to the group of so-called "mosaics - pavements" or pavement (eng.). The cubes are much larger than those of the later mosaics. They are made from the local white marble, which was quarried on the territory of the ancient villa. The mosaic is almost completely preserved.
The mosaics in the peristyle. They belong to the "black-and-white" group. These in the porticoes around the pool are adorned with various geometric ornaments: rosettes, peltes, triangles, squares, diamonds, swastikas, braids, dentil ornaments. Often one ornament is repeated multiple times. The mosaics have been in use for a long time, and in some places, "wear from prolonged use" or repairs have been observed. Some of the repairs have been intentional modifications to the mosaic's ornamentation. In the northeast and southwest ends of the porticoes around the pool, later panels are observed, which are associated with early Christian religion.
The mosaic in the vestibule. This mosaic was the first one that guests of the ancient villa "Armira" would see upon entering the rich residence of the owners from the time of the first and second building periods. Room 13 served as a vestibule since the main entrance was from the west during the initial construction of the building. The mosaics are black and white. Diagonally across the diamond-shaped mesh ornament, two large branches of a pomegranate tree with fruits are depicted. In antiquity, this fruit was a symbol of fertility. From the vestibule, one would enter the peristyle (the porticoes around the pool) and the owner's reception area.
The mosaic in Room 10 (the owner's bedroom). It is well-preserved and displayed in place. It was made in the first quarter of the 2nd century BC. The mosaic is of the type "mosaics with square and rectangular panels." In its center, there are representations of gods, goddesses, and mythological figures. The original composition was most likely altered according to the villa owner's wishes. In the northern part and in a specially designed large panel, a portrait of the owner from the mentioned period and the figures of two children are depicted. The frames are filled with geometric ornaments. Only in their case, colored cubes (tesserae) were used. Placing the portraits in one field suggests a very close family relationship, i.e., these are images of the father and his children.
The mosaic in Hall 6 or the guest hall. The mosaic is almost entirely preserved. It belongs to the type of polychrome mosaics with a central panel. In the middle of the mosaic, the head of Medusa-Gorgon is depicted. The mosaic covers the entire floor area of the hall, which was built in the early 3rd century BC. Around Medusa-Gorgon, allegorical images of the four seasons are recreated. The ornamentation of the remaining area of the mosaic consists of geometric and floral motifs. The panels are shaped as squares, diamonds, triangles.