Roman villa of La Ontavia

The Roman villa of La Ontavia is one of the most outstanding archaeological sites in Campo de Montiel and a fundamental visit to understand the Roman presence in this territory.

It is located in the municipality of Terrinches, at a strategic point in the southern part of the region, very close to important historical communication routes.

Its location helps to explain both the wealth of the settlement and its prolonged occupation, linked to the control of the territory and the exploitation of the surrounding agricultural resources.

Archaeological investigations have made it possible to recognize in La Ontavia an important Roman establishment in which, on the one hand, there are baths of unusual dimensions for a private setting and, on the other hand, a large area of living and production.

All of this shows that it was not a simple rural residence, but a true agricultural exploitation unit of some size, integrated into the network of villas that structured this sector of Campo de Montiel.

The site had a long history, with a particularly important Roman phase and subsequent reuse that demonstrates the continued interest in this place.

One of the most interesting aspects of La Ontavia is precisely that historical continuity.

After the abandonment of part of the Roman settlement, the site was reoccupied in late antiquity and early medieval times, when some of its structures, especially the thermal area, were transformed into a cemetery space linked to a Christianized community.

Therefore, the visit allows you to read in the same location several stages of the history of the settlement: from the Roman villa and its productive and residential architecture to its funerary reuse in later centuries.

Ontavia not only preserves material remains of great interest, but also offers a very clear picture of how the same place was adapted to new functions over time.