The shaft of a Jupiter Giant - Pillar was found at the villa. Jupiter Pillars are commonly found in excavations of Roman farms. This one was 1.29 meters high and 0.55 meters in diameter. The gods Juno, Minerva, Hercules, and Mercury are also asociated with these pillars and had their relief on its stone base. Above the base was a seven sided stone with the gods of the week; Saturn (Saturday), Sol (Sunday), Luna (Monday), Mars (Tuesday), Mercury (Wednesday), Jupiter (Thursday) & Venus (Friday). Above this was a round colum shaft and on top of it was a sculpture of Jupiter riding down a snake-footed giant.
Most people of the period believed in the Roman gods and especially in animistic spirits that lived in natural objects like rocks, trees, & streams.
Behind the Roman weapons and to the right is the villa's main worship area. It was located in a celler room under the villa's first floor.
The Cult of Mithras, a religion imported from the Orient, was common in this area at this period of history. Christianity had not yet arrived in this area. The area worshiped Roman gods, practiced imported religions for other parts of the Roman Empire, and believed in the local forest & meadow gods of the Celts and Germans.
Before the area's conversion to Christianity (after 300 AD.), the dead where burned on funeral piles along with various gifts and items needed in the after life. Most of the cemetery from this period at the villa was destroyed over the centuries by the work done to create the wineyards.
During Christian times, people where buried in the ground. However, wealthy people were buried in stone coffins. Rich Romans also used pillar grave monuments as a memorial to their dead. These were about 2.5 meters high and in pagan times had the winged god Amor cut on the foundation stone. These momuments also contained animal statues that were a part of the Roman death practices.
Today, the stone grave coffins are located in front of the ruin of the grain kilns used to dry grains.
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