Carranque contains the site of a
Roman villa that is protected as an archeological park by the Castile-La Mancha government. There are three main buildings visible by above-ground remains, the ruins of a Roman mill and a modern interpretation building. It is located by the River
Guadarrama, near a
Roman road. It seems to be near the lost city of
Titultiam. In 1983 a local peasant, Samuel López Iglesias, found a series of
mosaic floors while plowing in the fields known as
las Suertes de Abajo. The buildings date from the late fourth century and are thought to belong to a "Villa of Maternus Cinigius", the uncle of
Theodosius I, Roman emperor, born in
Hispania, but presently the owner is still unknown. The interpretation facility exhibits objects found during the excavations.
Buildings Building A: Basilica A Theodosian-era building that takes as models the governors' palaces. The hall was surrounded with 32
monolithic marble columns from the emperor's private quarries in
Chios in Greece (known as or
chium) and
Iscehisar and
Afyon in Anatolia (
phygium or
pavonazzeto marble). Soon it was
converted for use in Christian cult and burials. The
Visigothic arrival brought some changes. It was also used during
the Islamic age. The
Knights Templar used it as an abbey or monastery. It appears as the hermitage of
Santa María de Batres in the
Relaciones de Felipe II (1576), with most of the area used as a cemetery. It was used as such until the 17th century. The head of the Roman building, as the hermitage of
Santa María de Abajo ("
Saint Mary of the lower side"), lasted until around 1920 when it was dynamited to serve as construction material for the modern town. Its decoration shows the power of the patron. There were plates of marble, red
porphyry, and green
serpentinite, wall painting,
opus sectile and mosaics with glass and
golden-leaf tiles. Anecdotally, the footprints of a
caliga and a dog paw are visible on the mortar. The floorplan, part of the head (the chapel) and some columns are now visible.
Building B: nympheum Only remains of the floorplan were found. Its location (a little knoll over the river) offers an interpretation as a monumental
cistern with a fountain. Its shape reminds of a
nymphaeum. It was built with
opus caementicium (stone and mortar) and
opus testaceum (brick). Mosaics covered the floor.
Building C: Villa of Maternus Remains of the
Roman villa were the first found. The villa was built in the Theodosian era over earlier production facilities of an agricultural villa. The slope was compensated with a
terraced construction over around 1,200 m2 It is shaped around a
peristylum patio. The
hypocaust under-floor heating and running water hint of the richness of the owner that becomes luxury when admiring the mosaics, assembled by at least three workshops, two of which took the unusual pride of signing their work. Other rooms are covered with
opus signinum (chalk and crushed bricks).
Mosaics Sleeping room of Maternus The
cubiculum has a mosaic text in which the worker wishes Maternus prosperity. This Maternus is thought to be
Maternus Cinigius, uncle of the emperor Theodosius. The mosaics depict: • Portraits of Athena, Hercules and Diana. • the kidnapping of
Hylas by the Nymphs. •
Acteon and the bath of Diana. •
Pyramus and Thisbe •
Amymone and
Neptune Meeting room The
oecus, where the owner held meetings and banquets showing off his social status, was ended by a raised
exedra. The mosaic depicts the death of
Adonis. Two dogs named Leander and Titurus are also represented.
Dining hall The hypocaust of the
triclinium was complemented by ceramic tubes in the walls that pulled the hot air upwards. The mosaic depicts the gift of the slave
Briseis to
Achilles as narrated in the
Iliad. A sloped floor formed a semicircular wall fountain with a mosaic of the god
Oceanus, featuring crab antennas and claws and a wavy beard. The water effect was completed by blue-glass windows. ==References==