On the trail of the Romans

Heritage Malta will organise another thematic heritage trail on May 7, this time focusing on the Romans in Malta.

There will be visits to the Roman Domus in Rabat and the archaeological site of Tas-Silg, which is not otherwise open to the public.

Transport will depart from Valletta at 9 a.m., with the first stop being the Roman Domus. This site was accidentally discovered in 1881 by workers engaged in a landscaping project.

The Domus seems to have been originally built at the beginning of the first century BC - which is when the Romans took over Malta - but remained in use until the second century AD.

One of the most striking discoveries are the fine polychrome mosaic floors that rank among the finest and oldest mosaic compositions in the western Mediterranean and compare with those found in Pompeii.

High-quality portrait sculptures of an imperial Roman family and a rich array of fine Roman artefacts that used to form part of domestic belongings were also found at this site. The Roman Domus was fully refurbished by Heritage Malta and re-opened in February last year.

Participants will then be driven to Tas-Silg, which overlooks Marsaxlokk's fishing port. This is a unique opportunity to visit this normally closed site.

Tas-Silg has been identified by Ancient Greek and Roman geographers and writers - most importantly in the works of Cicero - as having served as an active cultural, political and commercial centre of the ancient world. Excavation works, carried out by the Italian Archaeological Mission of the University of Rome and the University of Malta in collaboration with Heritage Malta, which are still taking place, uncovered structures and artefacts dating back to the Prehistoric, Phoenician, Punic, Roman, Byzantine and the Middle Age periods.

Participation in this heritage trail is limited to 50 adults. Tickets can be pre-purchased at Lm4 from Heritage Malta's Head Office in Valletta. A coffee break at the Vilhena Palace, in Rabat, is included. For further information please call 2295 4312.

The Romans In Malta is part of Heritage Malta's series of thematic heritage trails introduced earlier this year.