上はマンション、地下には古代ローマの住宅「ドムス」跡　伊

【ローマＡＦＰ＝時事】イタリア・ローマの中心部にある１９５０年代の建物。外観は何の変哲もないが、あるお宝が地下に隠されている。古代ローマ時代の「ドムス（住宅）」の跡だ。（写真はイタリア・ローマのアベンティーノの丘のふもとにある建物の下から発見された古代ローマ時代の「ドムス」）
　アベンティーノの丘のふもとにあるマンションの入り口は至って普通で、買い物袋を持った住民が親切にもドアを開けて押さえてくれた。だが、中に進んで短い階段を下り、どこにでもあるような灰色の金属のドアを開けると、貴重な遺跡にたどり着く。紀元前１世紀から紀元後２世紀までさかのぼるドムスのモザイク画が見える。描かれているのは、つぼから伸びるブドウのつる、黒と白の幾何学模様、枝に止まる明るい緑色のオウムなどだ。
　このモザイク画の上に、ローマ市民は何世代にもわたって６層に及ぶ床を重ねてきた。最後は２０１４年。建物は、国立労働銀行の本店として使用されていたが、その後、仏銀行大手ＢＮＰパリバに売却され、マンションとして改築するために掘削作業が行われている時に地下から遺跡が発見された。
　「私たちは『遺跡を収めた箱』の中にいるのです。（中略）この建物には二つの役割があります。中にあるモザイク画を保護すること、そして一般人も出入りできるようにすることです」とローマの文化財担当者のロベルト・ナルドゥッチ氏は説明する。
　複雑な発掘作業は２０１８年に完了し、それ以降は、当局とマンションの取り決めにより、毎月第１・第３金曜日には、一般人もガイドの監督下で遺跡を見学できるようになった。
　ナルドゥッチ氏によると、住民らは階下にある古代ローマ時代の家を「誇り」に思っており、一般公開の日には優先的に見学できる。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/05/26-13:44）

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but a building in central Rome holds a hidden treasure in the basement: the remains of a Roman era home, including elaborate mosaics.
At the entrance of the 1950s building at the foot of Rome's Aventine Hill, all appears normal, with a resident loaded with shopping bags kindly holding the door.
But venture a bit further, and down a short flight of stairs one arrives at the prize, hiding behind an ordinary grey metal door.
It is there where mosaics from a Roman domus, or home, dating from between the first century BC to the second century AD, are visible.
Ensuing generations of Romans imposed six different levels of floors over the ages until in 2014, the remains were revealed by excavations to transform the former headquarters of the National Bank of Labour into an apartment building after its purchase by French bank BNP Paribas.
We are here inside an 'archaeological box'... an architectural structure having two functions: to protect the mosaics and to allow the public to have access to it, Roberto Narducci, an archaeologist from Rome's Directorate of Cultural Assets, told AFP.
The mosaics depict sinewy vines creeping from pots, black and white geometric patterns, and even a bright green parrot perched atop a branch.
Doors opened to the public on Friday after four years of technologicallycomplex excavation work that was completed in 2018.
Here we're inside a private building... just where they were planning to build eight garages, Narducci said, smiling.
- Goodbye garages -
The garage plan was shelved after an agreement with BNP Paribas, which financed work on the excavations, he said.
A multimedia visit greets the public, using plays of light and a soundtrack punctuated with bird songs to transform the atmosphere once again into the Roman domus of a wealthy family.
The light show imposes brightly coloured paintings reminiscent of those of Pompeian villas on the walls, while missing portions of mosaics are replaced as if by magic.
Undoubtedly, the former home better evokes more of its original splendour -- even after the passing of more than 2,000 years -- through the chosen format rather than transforming all elements to a museum.
We had the opportunity to study several layers of mosaics that were superimposed on each other over the centuries, six in total: from a scientific point of view, this happens very rarely, said Narducci.
During the study of an area of over 2,000 square metres (21,528 square feet), archaeologists unearthed even more finds, some dating back as far as the eighth century BC, including the remains of a military construction that may have been a watchtower. Its foundations are still visible.
And how do the co-owners of the building react to this unusual presence under their feet?
Residents are proud of the former Roman home below them, according to Narducci, and they have preferential access when the site is open to the public.
A deal between Rome's cultural assets department and the condominium provides for visits by the public on the first and third Friday of each month, under the supervision of a guide.
It's true we're inside a residential building, but we are also on an archaeological site where the objects belong to the state, Narducci said.