K. Palágyi Sylvia szerk.: Balácai Közlemények 2005/9. (Veszprém, 2005)
BEGOVIC DVORZAK, VLASTA: Villa maritima on Brioni Islands/Istria (Croatia)
cash crops and access to the new markets in Noricum and Pannónia (both military and civilian) were tied to imperial policies which according to Tassaux favored N Italy and I stria Imperial policies and elite economic interests went hand in hand in development of Brioni and other parts of Istria and thay would have created economies of scale for a few members of the emperor's inner circle. 14 There is no proof of the LaecaniVs ownership on the islands of Brioni but finds of tiles with Laecanius stamps on the villa are intriguing as there are no finds of those stamps on the other villas in Istria or evrywhere else. There are known two C. Laecanii Bassi, father and son, of the senatorial order who had distinguished political careers in the period from Tiberius to Nero. The last Laecanius, the consul of 64, who did not have a mail heir, died in 78 or 79, when the entire island estate together with the figlina came into imperial possession (in the Flavian period to Vespasianus). Analysis by R. Sostaric of plant macro-fossils from underwater probes conducted in Verige harbor in 1997 showed that the 1 st to 5 th c. the most important products were grape vine, olive, fig and stone pine. She also finded myrtle, a holy plant consecrated to Venus, and a lot of macro-fossils of various plants from the gardens (grass, frutes, hazelnut, ate). Terrased gardens are archaeologicaly exporated on Dubovac hill (spread on four terraces) and Gradina hill behind porticus miliaria (by analysing of aerial photo). R. Sostaric and H. Küster note there was much more fresh water around Verige bay in antiquity than today. 15 The real and lasting change on the Brioni villa came in the Hadrianic period. From then on, Istrian oil and wine were distributed only locally according to the evidence of the amphorae Bezeczky mentioné in his work in 1995. The reason for a decline in exports and possible decline in production remain unclear. Possibly a harsh winter caused several damage to olive trees or according to the theory of Buchi that wooden barrels rather than amphorae were used to transport the wine. Verzar Bass on tre other hand argue for a more positive restructuring and diversification of the agricultural economy based on the production of garum, com and wool. 16 Diversification of the island's economy was one response, as seen on the luxury villa at Verige. The part of farm building became built up as a fullonica (Fig. 6) probably in the time of imperor Diocletian. 17 Suic argued that this was baphium Cissense Venetiae etHistriae listed in the late 4 th century in Notitia Dignitatum. 18 Commercial exploitation of the other two natural resources, salt and stone, continued and may even have intensified when there was a temporary decline in oil and wine production. The Brioni saltworks were mentioned in the document of 543. in which bischop Eufrazije donated them to the priests. 19 The central apsidal space of the villa's bath and the friqidarium were transformed into a church and baptistery at some date in the late 4 th century. In late antique Brioni had an important naval base on the sea route in the Adriatic (with two secure anchorages) made by the port of the settlement in the bay of Madona and the port in Verige.The underwater investigations in front of the bath and industrial quarter on villa bring up the findings from 1st B.C. till 8 th and 9 th A.D. In the time of continual invasions from the sea luxury villa did not offer sufficient security or defence. There were some late classical and medieval adaptations but they were minimal (the baths were used as place of Christian church and baptistery and cisterns were adapted for residential purposes). Since there was so little later building the complex has largely come down to us in its original form.
