Roman villas in Limburg

Exhibition

Date:   to

Location: The Find

The luxurious country life of Limburg in Roman times

Two thousand years ago, Limburg was home to hundreds of Roman villas, as the Romans themselves called them: huge arable farms that supplied the entire region with grain. More than twenty of these estates have been excavated and examined over the past hundred years, after which the finds became scattered. The most important archaeological villa finds were brought back together for the first time in this exhibition.

Luxury country life
Over time, the villas in Limburg grew into complete Mediterranean-style country houses, including a bathhouse and Roman inventions such as glass windows and underfloor heating. Often the owners had their valuables buried on their own property. With more than two hundred objects, models, 3D reconstructions and film, Roman Villas in Limburg took visitors back to this luxurious country life of two thousand years ago.

Reconstructed mural
Eye-catchers were the reconstructed meter-high mural from Maasbracht with representations of gladiators and villa dwellers, and a look at the home of the "lady of Simpelveld. Her villa and interior were depicted in the carvings of the sarcophagus in which she was buried. Visitors also saw roof tiles and farm tools, as well as amber figurines, luxurious mosaics and glassware. Personal belongings of villa dwellers, such as a perfume holder or a bronze makeup box, told more about who they were, what they did and where they came from.

Stories and an interactive exploration
The objects played a role in the stories about Roman life, agriculture in Limburg and the significance of the lands within the larger Roman network. Special attention was paid to the inhabitants of the villas, from the lady of the house to the people who worked the land. Through an interactive exploration, visitors discovered how the "villa of Voerendaal" was expanded and rebuilt over the course of three hundred years. Also on display there was the portrait of the "lady of Voerendaal," who was buried near the villa.

Grain trade
Between the first and third centuries AD, the Limburg villas provided grain for all the inhabitants in the region. These lived in cities such as Heerlen, Xanten and Cologne. The soldiers along the limes, the northern border of the Roman Empire, were also customers. Grain was traded to the farthest reaches of northwestern Europe. This was done through the extensive network of Roman (water) roads.

Villa rustica
A Roman villa rustica consisted of a luxurious country house surrounded by extensive grounds with storage rooms, homes, stables, workshops, ornamental gardens and large arable land. Archaeological excavations show that dozens of people lived and worked there. When Roman power declined at the end of the third century, the villas were destroyed, burned and abandoned. Today, almost nothing of them can be seen in the Limburg landscape.

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