The Caves of Catullus are the remains of an imposing Roman villa on the extreme offshoot of the peninsula of Sirmione. They are a spectacular testimony to the daring ability of Roman builders between the first century BC and the first century AD to build a villa 120 meters long and 105 meters wide on a slope stretching towards the crystal clear waters of the lake, defeating the steep slopes of the rocky tongue.The name Grotte is decidedly deceptive, the term was used for the first time in ‘400 when most of the site was in fact underground. Many, reading the famous Carme 31 in which Catullus describes the return to the house of Sirmione, thought that the remains were unequivocally those of his villa. Subsequent studies have instead dated the site after Catullus’ death and therefore the owner, apart from belonging to a very high social class and the probable closeness to the imperial family, remains unfortunately unknown.
