Was this the home of the ancient Roman firefighters known as the Vigili?

Archeologists have uncovered the remains of a building dating back to the second century in the area near the Colosseum in Rome, potentially offering new insights into the lives of ancient Roman firefighters known as the Vigiles. The discovery was made in the Park of Villa Celimontana, which surrounds a 16th-century villa named after the hill of Celicia, one of seven hills of ancient Rome. According to reports from the local archaeological office, five of eight rooms within the structure were fully excavated. The site, located on the Celician Hill, has revealed mosaic floors and frescoed ceilings, with the mosaic depicting a large two-handled vase surrounded by a dolphin, fish, swan, and crab. This design bears striking similarities to another mosaic discovered earlier in the military barracks of the ancient fire department, found near Ostia, approximately 30 kilometers from Rome’s capital. That previous find had been linked to the fifth Cohort of the Vigiles, suggesting this newly unearthed structure might belong to the same unit. The Vigiles, or cohortes vigilum, were an official state service established by Emperor Augustus around 6 AD. Their duties included firefighting and maintaining nighttime order in the densely populated city of Rome. The presence of such a facility on the Celician Hill would indicate a strategic location for rapid response to emergencies, given the proximity to the city center. While the initial findings suggest a possible connection to the Vigiles, there is also an alternative theory that the site could have housed a patrician residence, similar to other structures found on the Celician Hill. The presence of refined decorative elements supports this interpretation. The local archaeological office emphasized that further study of the materials and structural remnants will provide more clarity on the nature of the site. Excavations were funded through European Union grants aimed at economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Reuters. The ongoing research aims to determine whether the site was indeed part of the Vigiles' infrastructure or served a different purpose. Additional analysis of the architectural layout and artifacts will be necessary before a definitive conclusion can be drawn. The discovery adds to the growing body of evidence regarding the organization and operations of the ancient Roman fire service. It also highlights the importance of the Celician Hill as a historical and archaeological site, with its layers of occupation spanning multiple periods. As the excavation continues, further details about the building's function and significance are expected to emerge.