At its most powerful, one in four people across the world lived under the Roman Empire. While commoners crammed into multi-storey insulae (tenement blocks), members of the imperial elite kept a domus (large house) in the city for business and a villa out of town for pleasure, rest and agriculture. These sprawling country estates could be the height of luxury and excess – think ornate gardens, private baths and magnificent banqueting halls. Here, we take a look at some of the finest Roman residences that survive today.

Click through this gallery to see amazingly well-preserved Roman villas in Europe, North Africa and the Near East...