Kos Casa Romana

Location: Town

Casa Romana, which means "the Roman house", is an important excavation area in Kos. Probably belonging to a wealthy islander, this house is emblematic of the architectural style that dominated the island in the Hellenistic and Roman Times. It is a beautiful mansion with a style similar to the buildings found in Pompeii. It dates back to the 2nd century and was built on the ruins of another house of the Hellenistic period.

Apart from its nice architecture, the house stands out due to its frescoes, the most remarkable of which depicts a panther attacking a bear. Its elaborate decoration and statues, which date from the late Hellenistic period, are also notable and currently exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Kos. This and the rest of the mosaics date from the 3rd century AD.

Regarding its internal distribution, Casa Romana has 36 rooms and a group of 3 atriums, which were supposed to provide light and air to the surrounding rooms. Each of these atriums has a small fountain in the middle. The first atrium used to host a small statue of Asclepius in the hallway. The second atrium has a floor decorated with dolphins and a sea nymph. In addition, its walls are covered with marble. The third atrium is the biggest of all. Its floors are also covered with mosaics, while its walls have wall paintings.

Casa Romana was excavated in 1933 by Italian archaeologist Laurenzi and underwent restorations in 1940. The site was reopened to the public in 2015 after the most recent renovations. It can be found to the right of Grigoriou Pemptou Street, west of Kos Town, and very close to the Roman Odeon. It is open for visits every day except Tuesday, from 08:00 to 19:30.