About fifty kilometers from Rome, the site known as sterlonga sits along the coast where Tiberius chose to retreat. In a seaside villa blessed with luxury, he created fish nurseries and even an artificial island at its heart. The arrangement turned the space into a venue for lavish banquets, where guests could savor seafood harvested from the very waters of the estate. These fish farms, symbols of wealth and social status, were imitated across the Mediterranean. To date, five cases have been documented in Spain, with four located in Alicante province: Xabia, El Campello, and Albufereta, among others.
The Archaeological Museum of Alicante has undertaken research to document these relics comprehensively. The sites are dated from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE in their period of use.
Initially, some scholars speculated these structures were salt-producing factories for commercial purposes, but current understanding points elsewhere. According to Manuel Olcina, manager of MARQ who has published widely on the subject, the nurseries are closely tied to the grand coastal towns and symbolize wealth and social prominence. With the notable exception of Illeta de El Campello, which diverged from this pattern and served in part to market fish, most nurseries articulate a broader narrative of affluence along the shore.
The Albufereta example measures roughly 9.20 by 7 meters. It represents a suburban villa in the city of Lucentum. The remains indicate an owner of high status, since the site preserves villa elements from a time when the area was urbanized. Archaeologists describe column bases and mosaics that would have formed part of a luxury villa facing the nursery, suggesting a deliberate display of opulence.
For years, MARQ and Manuel Olcina have pursued these structures, facing significant challenges in both construction and biological engineering. The discoveries were largely overlooked for a long period, but ongoing research has shifted the narrative and brought new attention to their significance.
new data
In Albufereta, two archaeologists from the UA Archaeological and Historical Heritage Research Institute, José Antonio Moya and Alejandro Pérez, conducted eight days of fieldwork, supported by the GEAS of the Civil Guard for a day. They documented 326 aerial photographs and nurseries through photogrammetry and orthophotography, providing a detailed record of the site.
To verify the findings, several surveys were carried out in the nursery itself, which sits at a depth of about two meters and has accumulated modern sediments. The system included a four-channel seawater circulation, a feature that helps researchers understand the techniques used to keep the fish alive and thriving over time.
Los Banys de la Reina de Calp is planned to become an open-air museum with walking paths and sea views, offering visitors a direct connection to these ancient practices.
Documenting the two necessary inlet channels and two outlet channels for water flow was crucial for understanding how the nurseries avoided stagnation and how salinity levels were managed. Properly regulated water flow reduces oxygen depletion and preserves fish health in these enclosed spaces. Architectural features such as door signs and recesses will be interpreted to explain how water management operated within the site.
Among the important findings is the discovery of another tunnel, described as a narrow, sightless space that was thought to route freshwater to the nursery. When sediment was removed using suction methods, a partitioned brick-and-mortar structure emerged, standing thirteen centimeters high and fifteen centimeters wide, with square cells on both sides and the bottom. This configuration points to considerations about water control and possibly a related activity on the shore.
Further investigations have linked this structure to a nearby restaurant operation dating to the 1930s and 1940s. Archival newspaper reports indicate the proprietor used the Roman pool as a bar and even kept a lobster farm available to customers, blending ancient assets with mid-century commercial life.
According to the vice president for culture, these studies will help evaluate and document nurseries associated with Rome’s coastal cityscape. The work will be shared through scientific publications and other informative materials to reach a broad audience and illuminate the broader historical context for these remarkable sites.