In early August, a group of Italian and British
archaeologists reported the discovery of a large country villa believed to be
the birthplace of Vespasian, the Roman emperor who built the Coliseum. The
ruins, which date back 2,000 years, were found near Cittareale,130 kilometers
northeast of Rome, at the center of Falacrine, the ancient village where
Vespasian was born. The excavation, which has been underway for four years,
also turned up other important ruins, including an ancient necropolis.
