Villa romana della Foce

Villa romana della Foce stands near the sea in Sanremo, with foundations marking a Roman residence built during the first or second century AD. The surviving layout centres on a private bath complex.

Archaeological work began along the Via Julia Augusta in 1925, followed by excavations led by Nino Lamboglia in 1936. Around twelve rooms remain visible, including an apodyterium, calidarium, laconicum, service spaces, courtyard, latrine, and garden areas. Ceramic evidence places occupation from the villa’s construction until at least the fifth or sixth century. Small sandstone and limestone blocks set in cement form the walls, while channels beneath the floors carried hot air through the baths. Later investigation also found amphora fragments in the bay, including vessels used to transport wine during the first century AD.

The foundations show how wealthy Romans combined seaside living with bathing and leisure. A medieval well nearby reuses stones from the villa, while a Second World War bunker still stands at the area’s edge.