In recent days, just a few metres from the Roman Forum, one of the most refined mosaic floors of the ancient city has re-emerged: the celebrated “Floral Carpet” mosaic. The rediscovery took place in the garden of the former Carabinieri barracks on Via Leicht, recently acquired by the Fondazione Aquileia, during preliminary works for the renovation of the building, which is set to become a campus-guesthouse with 24 beds for students, professors, and scholars involved in excavations and research at the site.

Covering an area of around 76 square metres, the large mosaic is distinguished by a central panel adorned with a floral composition of extraordinary elegance, crafted from multicoloured tesserae that create an almost textile-like effect. It was first discovered between 1962 and 1963 during investigations directed by Luisa Bertacchi, at the time of the barracks’ construction. The exceptional nature of the find led to the building being set back from its original design. Once the excavations were completed, the floor was reburied, remaining protected for more than sixty years.

The recent rediscovery has revealed a mosaic surface in remarkably good condition, opening up new interpretative perspectives. Cristiano Tiussi, director of the Fondazione Aquileia, stresses that the mosaic should not be seen as an isolated feature but as part of a broader residential complex: “It is essential to reconnect it with the Cassis plots and the House of the Dancing Putti.” The demolition of the wall that currently separates the former barracks from the area excavated by the University of Trieste will make it possible to determine whether this was once a single, extensive residence belonging to a wealthy Aquileian citizen of the 4th century AD.

Investigations carried out in recent days have also highlighted the unusually high elevation of the floor, an element that supports the hypothesis of a later date, already suggested by Professor Fontana, the late director of the excavations on the Cassis plots. Alongside the restoration of the building, the Fondazione is working with the Regional Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Friuli Venezia Giulia on a protective covering that will soon allow the public to admire the mosaic in the place where it lay hidden for decades.

In Aquileia, once again, a floor becomes a narrative: not only of taste and wealth, but of a city that continues to reassemble itself, tessera by tessera.