This residence belonged to an illustrious Roman family, one of the many who lived in Asturica Augusta. The use of noble materials in its construction and the various renovations carried out over time indicate its high status. Additionally, its proximity to the city’s forum suggests that the owners were part of the upper social classes of the period. The construction of the domus has been dated to the late 1st century AD.
The house was built with its various rooms arranged around a peristyle, a central courtyard surrounded by columns. Different types of flooring have been preserved, depending on the function of each room. A simple pavement, known as “opus signinum”, was used for service rooms and storage areas; this was a mortar made by compacting a mixture of lime, sand, water, and crushed brick. A more elaborate flooring type, known as “opus spicatum”, featured rectangular bricks arranged in a herringbone pattern and was used for more important rooms. The most luxurious flooring, a mosaic pavement, adorned the reception hall, where the owners held social gatherings. Some remains of pictorial decorations are still visible on the lower sections of the walls. Additionally, the outlet of the house’s sewer system can be observed, showing its connection to the city’s main drainage network, as was typical for Roman buildings.
The domus also had private baths, where all the thermal bathing areas have been identified: the cold room (frigidarium), the warm room (tepidarium), and the hot room (caldarium). In the frigidarium, small fragments of the marble slab flooring are still preserved. The presence of these baths within the house, along with the high-quality materials used, further supports the hypothesis that the owners belonged to the highest social class of their time.
The Mosaic of the Bear and the Birds
A magnificent mosaic is preserved in the reception hall, known as the “oecus”. This mosaic, created between the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries AD, depicts the myth of Orpheus and the animals.
Orpheus was a Thracian singer so talented that the god Apollo gifted him a lyre. When played, his music could tame wild beasts. In the mosaic, Orpheus would be depicted at the center of the composition, playing his lyre, surrounded by eight medallions featuring fierce wild animals. Among these, only one image has been preserved today: a bear standing on its hind legs.
The outer scenes of the mosaic symbolize autumn, showing various birds pecking at grapes from vine trellises. This imagery is why the mosaic is known as “The Mosaic of the Bear and the Birds”. In the four corners of the scene, large craters (vessels) with olive branches sprouting from them are depicted.
The mosaic is of exceptional quality, crafted using the “opus vermiculatum” technique. This method is characterized by the use of very small tesserae, allowing for highly detailed and realistic depictions of plants and animals.
Interesting Facts
Due to the location of the house, only one-third of its total area has been excavated. Parts of the domus remain buried beneath the modern Redemptorist Fathers’ convent. The myth of Orpheus and the Animals was very popular in Greek and Roman culture. The poet Ovid recounts the story in Book X of the Metamorphoses.
- Besides the one found in Astorga, many other mosaics depicting this myth have been discovered throughout the Iberian Peninsula, including in:
- La Alberca (Murcia)
- Santa Marta de los Barros (Badajoz)
- Zaragoza
- Mérida
- The Roman villa of “El Pesquero” (Badajoz)
- Itálica (Seville)
- Portugal (Arneiro, Arnal, and Martim Gil)
These discoveries indicate that the myth of Orpheus was widely embraced in Hispania, especially during the Late Roman Empire.
