Dragonera, Croatia
I-VII century A.D.

Dragonera site is located on the Istrian west coast, near by Peroj, cca 10 kilometres NW from Pula. Although we are not aware of the name of the proprietor, who in all probability was also the master-builder of the estate, we know all the titles that he held - aedile, duovir, and duovir at the quinqueanial census at the Colonia Pola. We are also acquainted with the name of his wife – Perelia Grata. The early imperial villa maritima that was owned by this Roman knight encompassed the whole bay with the residential building, port and production facilities. We date its erection into the period from 70 to 90 AD. This villa was decorated with outstanding mosaics out of which we should mention the one featuring a unique depiction of a rhinoceros. In the second half of the 4th century, this early imperial villa was ravaged by a fire, only to be thoroughly renewed afterwards. Throughout the 5th and 6th centuries, the structure at Dragonera maintained the basic conceptual purpose and layout that were inherited from the first early imperial structure. The only registered Roman forge with a smelting furnace on the eastern coast of the Adriatic originates likewise from this period. In the course of the 7th century a great fire finally brought life to a standstill on this site, whose inhabitants probably sought shelter in the fortified settlement of Kastrum located on the western side of Veli Brijun Island.

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