Orbe Roman Mosaics

The villa at Boscaz was one of the largest Roman country estates north of the Alps, and when its mosaic floors were found from the eighteenth century onward the decision was made to leave them in place rather than lift them to a museum - so they are displayed under small pavilions standing in open fields, exactly where the rooms were. Nine mosaics survive, from the second and third centuries: geometric panels, a divinities floor laying out the days of the week, a rustic scene, and a labyrinth. Seeing them in farmland rather than a gallery makes the scale of the estate legible in a way a museum cannot. The pavilions are unstaffed for part of the season and access follows posted times.

What you actually see

• Mosaics left where they were laid - shown in pavilions standing in fields.
• Nine surviving floors - second and third century, including a labyrinth.
• A divinities panel - the days of the week set out in figures.
• The estate's scale in the landscape - rooms spread across open farmland.

When to go

April to October. Two hours.

Honest expectations

Closed in winter and open on limited days; check before travelling. The pavilions are spread across fields with a walk between them. There is no museum building or cafe. Interpretation is in French.

Nearby

Orbe town is south; Romainmotier and the Jura are west.