In 170 AD, an imposing Roman villa stood in Orbe. The mosaics that covered 9 of the 100 rooms of this luxurious residence are now protected by four pavilions that can be visited from May to the end of October. The tours are accompanied by digital tablets, and guides are available on request.
Discovered in the mid-19th century north of the town of Orbe in the Northern Vaud region, the mosaics used to adorn the most important rooms in the villa. Made of naturally coloured stones, they depict gods, trompe l’œil geometric shapes or figurative scenes of Greek mythology, such as the famous labyrinth of Theseus and the Minotaur.
Although it is still not known who owned the villa, the luxurious decoration of this huge dwelling (230 m by 90-110 m) would suggest that he was very wealthy and enjoyed a luxurious life style.
Between 1986 and 2004, the Boscéaz site was an educational site for archaeology students at Lausanne University. These digs led to the discovery of a 9th mosaic, a mithraeum (place of worship dedicated to the god Mithra) and a spa.
