Lavish Seafloor Mosaics Discovered off Coast of Naples

Italian archaeologists have discovered well-preserved Roman mosaics along the seafloor off the coast of Naples. The artworks hark back to the ancient city of Baiae, a formerly debaucherous town that, similar to what Las Vegas is today, was once home to all-night parties and lavish villas belonging to the social elite, such as former emperors Julius Caesar, Augustus and Nero. Due to the volcanic activity under Baiae, much of the ancient resort town crumbled into the ocean, giving way to ethereal seascapes that are comparable to the mythic city of Atlantis.

The archaeological expedition was led by CSR Restauro Beni Culturali and Naumacos Underwater Archaeology and Technology, who unearthed marble Opus sectile flooring once crafted with precious stones that is to believed to be built toward the latter years of the empire. “Amazing,” hailed Bacoli mayor, Josi Gerardo Della, in a statement. “This is the magic of Baiae underwater. In the largest underwater archaeological park in the world, this is the opus sectile of a villa’s reception room that was build towards the end of the Roman empire.”

Baiae had lay dormant, forgotten, for centuries until Italian Air Force pilot Raimondo Baucher noticed peculiar columns and shapes over the sea while flying low to the coast in 1959. Since then, the once decadent resort town has become a popular tourist attraction, where visitors can regularly scuba dive to visit the once enchanted halls of former Roman aristocrats.