The Simon Bay

In the beautiful Simon Bay, where the Kane and Korbat Capes meet, lie the remains of a luxury Roman villa, villae maritime, with its port and an aqueduct found on different sites. The villa and the port, dating from the late 2nd century BC, the time of the Roman population of Istria, and described from the 16th century, were explored several times during the 20th century. Apart from the excavations, which have found only a small portion of the villa, the geophysical survey was also conducted proving a wide scope of the structure and its complex planning. Two smaller residential areas were found within the villa, of which only the structure foundations are visible, while the ground is covered by a layer of protective sand. Along the Kane Cape area, the premises facing the portico with the northwest-southeast facing columns, are more than 40 meters long. Spacious living rooms overlooked the portico with a magnificent view of the bay. The rooms were tiled with invaluable black and white mosaics of excellent craftsmanship. The north facing explored premises were also tiled with mosaics. Both rooms overlook the pier in front of the villa, connected with the portico. The port had as many as two piers which allowed ships to anchor despite strong winds. It was probably the biggest port of the time. Other architectural parts of the villa maritime complex, probably used for economic and production purposes, lie under the sea on the coast of the Korbat Cape. The port and the Roman villa compose one of the biggest economic Roman estates in Istria.