First excavated from 1907 to 1955 and again since the 1970s, Vaison-la-Romaine (Roman Vasio) provides a fascinating picture of how the wealthy Romanized Celtic citizens of the town lived during its heyday. Although some grand public buildings--a (heavily restored) theater, part of a bath or basilica, colonnaded streets--have been revealed by excavation, most are still buried by the modern town. The charm here is to wander through the private houses laid out in two districts, the Puymin to the northeast, and La Villasse to the south. Some of the large, well-appointed houses reflect Hellenistic Greek practice of having large open peristyles, or gardens surrounded by colonnades, with rooms arranged around them to catch pleasant views and a breeze from the garden. But they also included such Roman amenities as mosaic floors, wall paintings, and private baths where the owner could invite his friends over for a good soak.
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