Archaeologists discover that ancient Roman villa was converted into a church during Late Antiquity

 

Archaeologists excavating Triton Baths, built in 2^nd century AD, have discovered that the villa were converted to a church during Late Antiquity. The baths were located within the complex of Villa di Sette Bassi, the second largest Roman palace in the suburbs of Rome.

During the excavation, a vasca (a small pool) lined with marble has been discovered. This pool was probably used as a baptistery after the pools’ conversion into a church. The vasca underwent at least two phases of remodeling. In the first phase, the pool had greater depth which would have allowed full immersion during baptism. In the latter phase, the pools’ depth was reduced

The presence of burials around the site indicates that the site was not a small chapel, but a center of importance. The site might have been a bishopric during Late Antiquity.