Julius Caesar, the emperors Augustus and Tiberius and the statesman-philosopher Cicero all had homes in Stabiae.

A holiday villa at Stabiae

And what homes they were. Looking out over the Bay of Naples, enjoying fresh breezes and the mineral-rich water from natural springs, the seaside villas ranged in size from 110,000 to 200,000 square feet and represented the best in painting, architecture and refinement—apt testimonials to their owners’ importance.

“These villas were not just places of retreat and luxury for the Roman super-wealthy,” says Leo Varone, an architect born in Castellammare whose vision is behind the restoration project. “In the summer months, the capital virtually moved from Rome to here, and some of the most pivotal events of the Roman Empire actually occurred in the great villas of the Bay of Naples.”

The port at Stabiae

Circus performers

A panoramic view of the old Stabiae

A Villa in Stabiae

Market stalls

Selling pork sausages for the RLL (Returned Legionnaires League).

I can identify with this!

“Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.” Either that or the Roman version of a soup kitchen!

I also found these two ships in the “cave” to add to the port. The small one is an Arab Dow that fits right in, the other is a bit later but still looks OK.

Stabiae is now ready to use. I will now work on the combatants. I still have the four vine trellis’, the Roman Baths, and a Ludus from Sarissa precision to complete but these are not required for the “Gangs of Rome” game.

In addition to the buildings in Stabiae I have the Rural Villa and the Roman Provincial Farm to depict the countryside and the hills around the town.