Museum of Mosaics in Devnya, Roman Villa of Marcianopolis
The Museum of Mosaics in the town of Devnya, in Varna Province, was built over the ruins of a large Late Roman villa from the city of Marcianopolis. It shows the floor mosaics of the so-called House of Antiope, with scenes from Greek and Roman mythology, together with other finds from the ancient city. It is one of the best places in northeastern Bulgaria to see Roman mosaic art where it was laid.
A modern museum sits on top of a Roman house of 21 rooms, and a Roman street still runs beneath the building. Its floors show Medusa, whose snake-haired face was meant to guard the home.
The history of the Museum of Mosaics and its Roman villa
The story begins in the Roman and early Byzantine city of Marcianopolis. In the late third or early fourth century AD, perhaps during the rule of the Emperor Constantine the Great, a large town house was built here, on the site of earlier buildings that had been destroyed in the Gothic raids of 250 and 251. With repairs and alterations it remained in use until the seventh century, when it was abandoned because of Avar and Slavic invasions.
The house is nearly square, about 37 metres on each side, and follows the Graeco-Roman tradition of a dwelling around an inner courtyard, or atrium, with a well in the middle. Around it are 21 rooms for living, work and storage. Many walls were once covered with coloured plaster, frescoes and stucco, and the floors of the portico and five rooms were laid with multicoloured mosaics, among the finest examples of Roman mosaic art from this period found in Bulgaria.
Archaeological research that began in 1976 uncovered the building, which became known as the House of Antiope. The mosaics were made with two techniques, opus tessellatum, with tiles in straight lines, and opus vermiculatum, where tiles follow the outline of the figures. The tiles are of marble, clay, limestone and coloured glass in 16 colour varieties. Although Christianity was rising under Constantine, the mosaics are entirely pagan, with Zeus, Antiope, Ganymede and the gorgon Medusa, as well as floral and geometric patterns and exotic animals.
The best known is Medusa, covering the floor of the owner’s office, the tablinum, about eight metres square. She sits inside a round geometric shield, the shield of Athena, and her face is rather calm than frightening: the mosaic worked as a talisman to protect the house from evil. In the bedchamber, Zeus, shown as a young satyr, carries off Antiope, with Greek inscriptions naming both figures. Ganymede, carried to Olympus by Zeus in the form of an eagle, fills the largest room, and the Seasons mosaic in the women’s quarters has kept only its figure of Autumn.
The museum building, designed by the architect Kamen Goranov, covers only the western part of the villa, so the eastern wing and the atrium remain open to the sky. A well-preserved Roman street runs under the building, and several ancient walls around it are, with the villa, most of the preserved ruins of Marcianopolis. The museum was officially opened in 1986, and it is listed as number 10 among the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria.
Curious facts about the Museum of Mosaics
- A Roman street, well preserved, crosses underneath the museum building.
- The Medusa mosaic was a talisman: despite the snakes in her hair, the face was made rather calm to protect the house from evil.
- The tiles come in 16 colour varieties and are made of marble, clay, limestone and coloured glass.
- Greek inscriptions on the Zeus and Antiope mosaic label the satyr and the girl by name.
- Only three of the mosaics are shown in situ; the others were moved to be conserved and restored.
- The Pannonian Volutes mosaic did not come from this villa but was brought from another ruined ancient building of Marcianopolis.
Tours near Museum of Mosaics, Devnya
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting the Museum of Mosaics in Devnya
- The museum stands in a small park, and the building covers only the western part of the villa, so the atrium and eastern wing can be seen outside.
- Look for the mosaics of Medusa in the tablinum, Zeus and Antiope in the bedchamber and Ganymede in the largest room.
- Besides the mosaics, the museum shows objects connected with the villa and the life of its inhabitants, and other archaeological finds.
- Check the current opening hours before you go, as they may change.
- Nearby sites of the ancient region include Marcianopolis, the Varna Necropolis (about 23 km) and the Roman Thermae in Varna (about 27 km).
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Museum of Mosaics, Devnya is
Photos of Museum of Mosaics, Devnya
Questions
What is the Museum of Mosaics in Devnya?
It is an archaeological museum in the town of Devnya, built over a large Late Roman villa of Marcianopolis. It displays floor mosaics from the villa and other finds from the ancient city.
Where is the Museum of Mosaics?
It is in the town of Devnya in Varna Province, in northeastern Bulgaria, set in a small park.
What can you see at the Museum of Mosaics in Devnya?
The main attractions are the mosaics of Medusa, Zeus and Antiope, Ganymede and the Seasons, plus the villa’s rooms and atrium. Three mosaics are shown in their original place.
How old is the villa?
It was built in the late third or early fourth century AD, perhaps under Constantine the Great, and used until the seventh century.
When did the museum open?
Research began in 1976, and the museum was officially opened in 1986.
Why is Medusa shown on the floor?
The Medusa mosaic acted as a talisman to protect the home from evil forces. Her face is rather calm, not frightening.
Also nearby
Marcianopolis
Devnya · Roman capital of Moesia with amphitheatre and mosaics
50 m away
Solnitsata
Provadia · walled salt-makers' town, over 6,000 years old
14 km away
Varna Necropolis
Varna · Copper Age cemetery with the “oldest gold in the world”
23 km away
Roman Thermae in Varna
Varna · the Balkans' largest Roman baths, later a prison
27 km away