Cella Vinaria Project

14/04/2026

The Villa della Pisanella was a Roman villa to the north of Pompeii in modern-day Boscoreale, Italy. It was a large complex with land, possibly up to 24 hectares (59 acres). This estimation was deduced from the capacity of the dolia found in the cella vinaria. Just like Pompeii, the villa was buried during the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

In the late 19th century, the villa was excavated and the walls saw the light of day once again. This photo shows the site when it was exposed, c. 1912, and just look at those dolia in situ, positioned as they were that day when Vesuvius erupted. These are large containers used for the fermentation of alcoholic beverages. This villa had a torcularium (a room or building for pressing grapes) for producing wine.

Interesting finds here include several bodies (including a dog), and a treasure trove of silverware and gold coins, the "Boscoreale Treasure."
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Photo by Esther Boise Van Deman © American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive, VD.Archive.Ph.237.

14/04/2026

14/04/2026

Farine, pâte, sillon mystérieux: que contenait le pain de Pompéi en 79? Une enquête rigoureuse sur le panis quadratus.

12/04/2026

Demà dissabte, 11 d’abril, a les 19h, el Terracotta Museu acull la cloenda del 250è aniversari de la rajoleria Can Marc, una proposta que reivindica el valor d’aquest ofici artesanal i arrelat al territori.

L'acte inclourà una xerrada de Carlos Serra sobre la història de la rajoleria tradicional a Regencós i la trajectòria de Can Marc, seguida de la projecció del documental “Can Marc. Rajolers a Regencós des de 1774” i una taula rodona amb la participació de Joan Ferrer, rajoler i actual propietari; Josep Matés, terrisser; i el mateix Carlos Serra

11/04/2026

“In vino veritas” (truth in wine). The Romans loved their wine, and in Herculaneum, we see one of the most famous painted advertisements listing the prices of different types of wine. The name of this establishment is “To the vessels”. Each is labeled with a price ranging from two to four and a half asses per s*xtarius (about 500 milliliters). This conclusively validates the hypothesis that quality and flavour (flavoured with honey, other wines, and herbs) dictated the price, not volume.

The jugs were also painted a colour that matched the volume of liquid they held. This is for regular to lower middle class who probably worked long days and could treat the wife and kids (children were allowed heavily watered down wine at meals) to a jug or three of the good stuff when the father had a few days off. All respectable Romans were expected to drink watered down wine as excessive drunkenness was heavily frowned at.

Augustus's morality laws (primarily the leges Juliae of 18–17 BC and lex Papia Poppaea of 9 AD) were a series of reforms designed to boost population growth, promote marriage, and curb s*xual immorality among the Roman elite. These were designed to return Rome to its "Traditional Golden Era" - All literary sources directly concur on these sweeping legal changes.

He was so adamant the enforcement of these laws, that he exiled his daughter Julia, for having frequent s*x with married and most importantly, senatorial and Equestrian power brokers. This was to show Rome that if he could exile his daughter to an island, prohibit all male visitors (security excluded) that he was very serious.

Remember, the wealthy had huge stores of their favourite wine delivered straight from the docks, or a middle man, and numerous amphorae of good, medium and barely passable (for when guests were drunk) kept in their cellars.

11/04/2026

11/04/2026

11/04/2026

Fa vint segles a Besalú (La Garrotxa), s'hi feia molt de vi. És el que constaten les darreres troballes a la Vil•la Romana de Can Ring, que va ser descobert als anys 50 del segle passat i que des de l’any 2016 va entrar en una nova etapa d’estudi i d’excavacions. Durant tot aquest temps, s’han anat descobrint tot de fets històrics, com per exemple que certs grups de persones, benestants, però també treballadors i esclaus es van establir a aquesta zona que avui es troba just al costat de l’autovia A-26 per treballar la terra i per fer relacions comercials, configurant un nucli poblat. Probablement s’hi van estar entre 400 i 500 anys. “Era un celler que estava format, com a mínim, per 54 tines, amb una capacitat mitjana de 800 litres i que acumulava, durant les millors anyades, uns 45.000 litres de vi. I la voluntat que teníem era, ja que teníem les tines velles i els forats, fer una proposta de conservar les restes i posar-hi rèpliques de tines romanes perquè la gent es faci una idea del que s’hi feia aquí i així restablir aquest celler de l’establiment que hi havia hagut a Can Ring”, ens explica Joan Frigola, arqueòleg i responsable excavacions Can Ring, mentre passegem amb ell pel jaciment.

Fa vint segles a Besalú s'hi feia molt de vi. És el que constaten les darreres troballes a la vila romànica de Can Ring, que va ser descobert als anys 50 del segle passat i que des de l’any 2016 va entrar en una nova etapa d’estudi i d’excavacions....