The ruins of the underwater Roman temple Baia

The ruins of the underwater Roman

temple Baia

Since the 4th century a catastrophic earthquake in the Campi Flegrei region has gradually sunk the valuable remains of this ancient site Today a vast stretch of ancient coastline is submerged Valuable stucco remains remain in the now-submerged bay The Port of Julius located to the west is the site of the Roman naval base Traces of mosaics frescoes sculptures street plans and columns remain beneath the sea level The atmosphere of the sea cave is enhanced by the durable natural stonework that covers the side arches and entrance doors particularly the precious 

original mosaic floor decorated in geometric framesThe central part of the building is a room possibly a nymphium where flowing water flows into a large circular tank outside. Water flows through side channels into a central basin housing a statue of Ulysses offering wine to Polyphemus Between the channels spanning the wall and the large central basin water gushes from some statues placed in the longitudinal niches of the triclinium and from a statue of Bios in the apse using small lead pipes inserted into the marble Systematic excavations revealed a large rectangular room approximately 18 x 10 meters 

villa a-protiro-parco-archeologico-sommerso-baia

with a semicircular arch at one end entirely covered with marble and a large pool in the center Other villas and baths were located around the now-submerged Bay of Bayanas Lacus Baianus This includes the so-called Villa with Terrace The brick structure of the central pillar once lavishly decorated with numerous relaxation rooms remains The third-floor terrace 

has now been transformed into a lush tree-lined garden The final staircase leads to the "Sector of Mercury" named after the Ambulatio a long corridor with two central passages on the second-floor terrace The terrace is designed as a covered walkway with large openings offering panoramic views of the bay below The lower terrace contains paintings from two successive periods Egyptian-style paintings and symbols of the cult of Isis date back to the mid-first century AD Most of the paintings are covered with paintings from the second century AD depicting male and female figures in architectural styles