The Roman Villa del Casale near Piazza Armerina in south east Sicily has some of the most extensive and best preserved Roman mosaics to be seen anywhere. The actual fabric of the building is only preserved in part, but the floor mosaics are largely intact and of great sophistication, believed to have been executed by North African craftsmen/artists during the reign of the Emperorr Maximian. The Villa was first excavated in the 1920s and work has been ongooing since then. Currently the complex is covered by greenhouse-like structures, which make it rather a hot place to visit, as well the metal framework casting shadows across the mosaics, making photography an often intensly frustrating and difficult experience! The site is due to close for a while in the near future for restoration, during which an alternative arrangement to the current 'greenhouse' covering will be installed.