You might think these women are at the beach… Not exactly. However, they are athletes competing in a sporting event as depicted by a mosaic floor at the UNESCO recognized Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina, Sicily. The “Chamber of the Ten Maidens” does offer scholars of fashion a reference point for the history of the bikini, knowing that the Villa, really an estate that probably was the “headquarters” for a large latifundium (or agricultural plantation), was constructed in the early 4th century A.D., during the Roman Empire.
Beach Volleyball in Ancient Rome
About the author
Allison Scola is founder, owner, and curator of Experience Sicily and the Cannoli Crawl. Named one of the experts for the 2019 New York Times Travel Show, Scola writes and lectures on Sicily and leads immersive tours and designs custom itineraries that delight discerning travelers. She has been featured on Rudy Maxa’s World with the Carey’s, America’s #1 Travel Radio Show and as the cannoli expert in the documentary Cannoli, Traditions Around the Table. Scola has lectured about Sicily at University of Pennsylvania, The New School, LIU Post University, Queens College, Westchester Italian Cultural Center, at high schools in the New York City metropolitan area, and at events in New York City.