The Roman mosaic of Bell-lloc del Pla (Girona)

Abstract

The mosaic depicting races held in a Roman circus discovered at Bell-lloc del Pla (or Can Pau Birol) in Girona is very probably, and certainly from a historical and artistic point of view, one of the most interesting pavings of all those preserved in the region of Girona. Its great historical and artistic value has attracted the interest of numerous researchers and specialists, who have studied it from highly diverse fields (iconographic, compositional, epigraphic and even stylistic). However, this enormous and disperse scientific production has been unable to respond to the many questions that have arisen around this work even today. As they may involve significant iconological implications, we conduct a contextualized analysis and assessment of the questions raised so that they may be submitted to scientific consideration in the hope that, if possible, they be answered.