EXPO – Roman Villas in Limburg

The beautiful landscape of South Limburg was an attractive, fertile place for the Romans. Several farmers were tempted to expand their farms into large agricultural estates, the so-called Roman villas. There must have been hundreds of them in this region. Vast quantities of grain fed many mouths locally, but also at the limes, the northern Roman frontier. With their profits, the villa owners transformed their farmhouses into Mediterranean-style mansions, complete with bathhouses and Roman innovations such as glass windows and underfloor heating. Often, they chose to be buried with their valuables on their own estate.

Over the past hundred years, more than twenty of these estates have been excavated and studied. Their finds have since been scattered across various collections.

The exhibition Roman Villas in Limburg brings together the most remarkable archaeological discoveries. Special attention is given to the villa residents, from the lady of the house to the people who worked the land.

This exhibition is a collaboration between the National Museum of Antiquities (Leiden), the Limburgs Museum (Venlo) and the Roman Museum (Heerlen).

The exhibition will be on view from 21 June 2025 until 4 January 2026 at De Vondst in Heerlen.