Römischer Gutshof von Bargen

The Roman villa rustica at Bargen stands on a spur of land two kilometres north-east of the village of Bargen near Engen. Its remains cover about two and a half hectares in the Ottegrund district, with a spring and an old stone quarry along its eastern edge. Four low mounds mark the buried walls of the estate, first investigated in 1924 under Paul Revellio and later checked again in 2001 and 2004. The buildings were raised in the 2nd century and occupied until the mid-3rd century. No traces of burning show the owners left without conflict. The main house faces east and measures thirty-three by twenty-six metres, with two projecting corner towers and heated rooms warmed by a hypocaust system. A separate bath-house contains an entrance hall, changing room, warm room, hot plunge and basins, while a small temple and service quarters complete the layout. Visitors walk over the grassy mounds to see the outlines of walls and hypocaust pillars. A low fence keeps the site safe while allowing views of the stone footings. The surrounding fields and distant woods recall the rural setting the Romans knew. Information boards explain each building’s use and the finds made here, including bronze furniture fittings shaped like meanders and dolphins.