Roman Villa Heitersheim

The villa was constructed in the 1st century by a Roman landowner. Its location on the road to Sulzburg was strategically advantageous due to silver and lead mining activities there. The complex existed until approximately 260 AD and encompassed a built area of 1500 m², while the entire estate, including vineyards and fields, covered 55,000 m² and was enclosed by a wall. The villa was divided into a stately residential area, the pars urbana, and an agricultural section, the pars rustica. In the residential area, an 18-meter long water basin, inspired by Mediterranean models, was located in the atrium. The villa was supplied with running water and featured a hypocaust heating system. Originally, the representative building was surrounded by a Roman orchard, vegetable, and pleasure garden, the larger part of which lay east of the villa. The agricultural area faced the Rhine Valley.