Roman villa Otrang

Villa Otrang is an ancient Roman country estate near Fließem in the Eifel hills. Built around 2,000 years ago, it once covered more than 50,000 square metres and included a grand manor house, farm buildings and gardens. The estate stood beside the old Roman road from Trier to Cologne, with the Kyll river to the north and the Langmauer frontier wall to the south. The site is famous for its fine mosaic floors, fourteen of which once adorned the manor’s sixty-six rooms. Four mosaics survive almost intact, including the spectacular hunting scenes in the apsidal dining hall. These show lions, panthers, cranes and snakes in vivid detail. The villa’s history has been carefully preserved since its rediscovery in 1825, when a mosaic was found during ploughing. Visitors walk through the restored manor and its surrounding walls, which enclose a rectangle of 379 by 132 metres. The eastern wing contains the owner’s living quarters, heated baths and reception halls. To the west lies a smaller villa that may have housed the estate manager. About 400 metres away stand two temples dedicated to local deities, including a large Mars figure and statues of Minerva, Epona and Isis Fortuna. The remains of these buildings and their sculptures offer a clear picture of Roman rural life and worship in the Eifel.