The Roman Villa del Casale is located in the city of Piazza Armerina. The villa is a late antique building and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The discovery of the villa is due to Gino Vinicio Gentili in 1950. Among the remains of the villa there are four separate nuclei: the monumental entrance; a central body with portico and garden; a large space preceded by an ovoid portico and finally the spa complex. Due to its complexity of the layout and the beauty of the mosaics, the Villa can be considered one of the most significant models of a representative residence, compared to other similar examples. The identification of the owner of the Villa is not certain: according to studies it is attributed to a high exponent of the Roman senatorial aristocracy, perhaps to a governor. According to other scholars, the villa was built on imperial commission by Massimiano Erculeo who ruled the Roman Empire together with Diocletian. The villa has undergone many changes and extensions over the centuries due to the settlements of the medieval and Renaissance periods.