La cosiddetta villa di Pompeo ad Albano: stato della questione e nuove considerazioni attraverso i marmi antichi della collezione Doria Pamphilj

In the past various scholars had already focused on an ancient Roman villa at Albano, along the Appian way between 14th and 15th miles. The remains are located within what is now the public park. According to literary sources it was attributed both to Pompey the Great and to the Albanum Domitiani or Albanum Caesari, but the owner is still unknown. In 1764 the Doria Pamphilj family acquired the area, and during the first half of the 19th century found precious marble sculptures, today housed in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery in Rome. These sculptures introduce new important elements into the discussion of the historical and cultural context of the site. The typological approach, the stylistic analysis, the artistic value, the quality of the marbles and the dynamic of the trasmission of models suggest a complex of singular importance. Also, particular attention is paid to their role in a private space. On the evidence of the sculptures we can date the continuous use of the villa from the 1st century BC to the mid 2nd century AD. In addition to the sculptures, other archaeological findings as frescoes, stucco decorations, terracotta plaques and other artifacts support the hypothesis that the villa belonged to an important and rich Roman and, over the centuries, it most likely became imperial property.