Vižula is an archaeological site near Medulin, confirmed to be populated from the Neolithic to the Early Middle Ages. Remains of a Neolithic settlement were found including wicker cottages glued together by soil and mud, as well as parts of the ceramics and some dishes. However, the most significant is the Roman villa, which has undergone systematic research, dating back to the 1st and the 2nd centuries. It was found that the villa had been constructed in three phases until the 6th century.
The structure was elevated from the sea coast by terraces, while its bottom part lies today sunk under the sea, giving only a glimpse of the pier remains. The villa was a residential country house for both noblemen and the Emperor. Its preserved architecture shows that the villa was facing the sea, with the floors partially decorated by mosaics, clearly visible shapes of the swimming pool, the water supply, toilet, led and masonry built sewage. The residential part of the villa is located on the western part of the Vižula peninsula. On its south-east is the jetty with storehouses and the premises for servants and slaves.
The findings of the floor mosaics are also interesting.They combine blue stone ceramic tiles and cubes forming geometric shapes. Found infrastructure remains speak of a comfortable life in the villa with floor heating which is used in modern building as well. Vižula has an opportunity to become a true archaeological park following the completion of the research. The two explorations of the nearby necropolis found several hundred graves made by different burial techniques, containing skeletons and urns, jewellery and initialled glass bottles.
References:The Roman Theatre of Mérida is a construction promoted by the consul Vipsanius Agrippa in the Roman city of Emerita Augusta, capital of Lusitania (current Mérida). It was constructed in the years 16 to 15 BCE. One of the most famous and visited landmarks in Spain, the Roman Theatre of Mérida is regarded as a Spanish cultural icon and was chosen as one of the 12 Treasures of Spain.
The theatre has undergone several renovations, notably at the end of the 1st century or early 2nd century CE (possibly during the reign of Emperor Trajan), when the current facade of the scaenae frons was erected, and another in the time of Constantine I (between 330 and 340), which introduced new decorative-architectural elements and a walkway around the monument. Following the theatre"s abandonment in Late Antiquity, it was slowly covered with earth, with only the upper tiers of seats (summa cavea) remaining visible.