The Minister of Culture and Sports, Patricia del Pozo, and the mayor of the municipality of Las Gabias in Granada, María Merinda Sábada, have presented the results of the investigations carried out over four consecutive archaeological campaigns at the Roman villa of Las Gabias. According to Del Pozo, «the work carried out between 2022 and 2025 at one of the most emblematic sites for the study of Roman presence in Andalusia» has helped «dispel stereotypes» and has allowed for «new and exciting horizons in the research of this important archaeological complex owned by the region.»
Discovered over a hundred years ago, this site, «whose last excavation was conducted three decades ago,» has undergone «a significant process of revaluation in the last four years, thanks to the decisive commitment of the Andalusian government and the municipality of Las Gabias to advance in its constructive and contextual knowledge, as well as in its conservation and dissemination,» as stated by the highest authority in Culture of the Andalusian government.
Funded by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Andalusian government and the City Council of Las Gabias, with the collaboration of the universities of Granada, Jaén, and Málaga, these research works have combined archaeological prospection tasks with excavation, «confirming the importance of this Roman-era site, by confirming that it is a rural complex of high rank, organized around a valuable cryptopórtico, previously misidentified as a baptistery,» highlighted Del Pozo. It is, in essence, an integrated and monumental complex, articulated as a «rural complex of high rank,» which featured open spaces, gardens, and spacious dependencies, not only for agricultural use, but also for residential and representative purposes.
During the visit to the site, the Minister of Culture and Sports emphasized the importance of collaboration between administrations to «advance in the knowledge, recovery, and preservation of Andalusian historical and artistic heritage.» A joint effort that «bears fruit» and allows for the appreciation of sites like the Roman villa of Las Gabias, «one of the most relevant references for understanding the Roman occupation of Andalusia, and more specifically, the flourishing economic and social activity that took place in the Vega de Granada during Antiquity.»
Four consecutive interventions
Discovered by chance over a hundred years ago by Francisco Serrano, this site was emergency excavated a year later by Juan Cabré and, eight years later, by Leopoldo Torres Balbás. The latter was responsible for enclosing the perimeter of the site to try to stop the looting it had been experiencing, resulting in the loss of valuable elements such as a marble fountain and almost all of the ‘opus sectile’ decoration.
This restoration architect was also responsible for the recovery of the cryptopórtico, previously misidentified for years as a «baptistery,» an impressive construction known for its monumentality and symbolic value. In 1931, it was registered as a Historic-Artistic Monument and in 2004 as a Cultural Heritage Asset.
Following Torres Balbás’ intervention, archaeological research was practically paralyzed, largely due to opposition from the landowners. Consequently, despite the passage of time, only two small-scale excavations were carried out in 1972 and 1995, led by the University of Granada.
As a result, the site languished for decades, until the recent launch of a program of four interventions, jointly promoted by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Andalusian government and the City Council of Las Gabias, under the scientific coordination of archaeologist and professor at the University of Málaga, Manuel Moreno Alcaide, in collaboration with the universities of Jaén and Granada.
The first intervention, carried out in December 2022, took place inside the cryptopórtico and led to the discovery of a monumental marble staircase that provided the original access to the Roman construction.
In December 2023, a second intervention addressed, for the first time, the archaeological excavation of the gallery. In this case, a pavement over the vault was discovered, indicating the existence of a passable upper space, possibly linked to a garden with a pond.
The third intervention, in 2024, carried out a geophysical survey, revealing the existence of two areas separated by a path. To the west, the ‘pars rustica’ was located, including the oil mill already discovered in 1995, while on the other side was the ‘pars urbana’, where a series of anomalies were detected, interpreted as a large courtyard surrounded by perimeter constructions, with the cryptopórtico at its center. An archaeological survey was also conducted, revealing a perimeter room with an apse paved with geometric mosaics, of the venerated type and with architectural motifs in the form of arcades. Additionally, an intervention was made in a lateral room, also paved with polychrome mosaics, which could correspond to a bedroom (‘cubiculum’).
Finally, it is worth mentioning the recent discovery in an excavation on a private plot, of a rectangular building, with ‘opus signinum’ and a roof of ‘tubi fittili’, which could correspond to the baths of the villa.
Open to the public
In addition to these research activities, the Ministry of Culture and Sports is involved in the site through various initiatives. The first is its opening to the public through the ‘Discover the archaeological sites of Granada’ program, which last year attracted 570 visitors to this villa. Throughout the summer months, this initiative offers free guided tours of the archaeological sites owned by the region in the province, allowing the public to visit this site for the first time, explore the cryptopórtico, and learn about the progress being made in archaeological research.
A second initiative is the future musealization of the cryptopórtico, a project that is already underway.
