Over the centuries, clothes have always said more than what they covered. They signal an era, a culture, sometimes a rank. In the tumult of Roman antiquity, this symbolic power did not stop at toges or the fare ornaments. Even shoes were becoming markers of status, taste or identity. Among them, Roman sandals today reveal, through archeology, an surprisingly familiar aesthetic and often underestimated sophistication.
The site is already famous for its mosaics “women in bikini”, where female athletes practice dumbbells and throws in a decor evoking ancient games. The soil, which has become an archive, restores a daily, but also sophisticated universe, where each reason conveyed a message, sometimes subtle. As a press release from the Sicily Region dated August 4, 2025 underlines, this recent discovery once again confirms the high artistic and technical level of the villa.
Roman sandals as fashion and status objects
Well beyond their utility function, Roman sandals embodied a real social grammar. In Rome, the shoe did not only cover the foot, it revealed everyone's place in society. The London Museum, which houses one of the largest collections of ancient shoes, shows through more than 750 pieces how much the design and diversity of models reflected the evolution of tastes and statutes in the Empire.
Some sandals were simple, such as the Carbatinae, cut into a single room of leather. Others, more elaborate, presented fine strips, worked soles, astrological decorations or even nails arranged in patterns. The most precious people appear with gold leaves or inlaid stones. The shoe became a support for expression, sometimes even a political, as evidenced by nails in the form of imperial effigies placed in the heels, probably to “trample” symbolically power, according to an interpretation mentioned by the specialist Owen Humphreys of the London Museum.
Inheritance of a millennial style in our modern wardrobes
Roman fashion has not simply disappeared with the collapse of the Empire. Some of its forms have crossed the centuries, sometimes without being aware of it. The aesthetics of flat sandals, open, with crossed or central straps, reappears cyclically in our contemporary styles. The famous Japanese Zōri inspired modern flip flops, but the Romans also adopted, long before us, the principle of the central strap between the toes.
At Villa del Casale, the two sandals represented seem to float on the cobblestones, without feet to wear them, like a ghostly trace. Their modernity is striking, to the point that some archaeologists compare them to models of the Havaianas brand. This fun detail hides a deeper reality. The recurrence of forms in history, the permanence of craft gestures and the porosity between function, style and identity.
But while the discoveries accumulate, the state of conservation of the worried site. In March 2024, the newspaper The Times alerted the advanced degradation of Villa Romana, despite the 3.4 million euros in European funds released for catering. Mosaics stained, bird droppings, infiltration … Heritage neglect threatens to silence a heritage as rich as they are.
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
