Excavations

View looking southeast from the church of San Pawl Milqi over some of the excavations of the Villa and the associated food processing area.  Three vertical presses have been found and numerous settling vats.

Note the variety of walls, and just left of center a cracked olive crusher and beyond it an olive press.

The site was first partially cleared by Vincenzo Fenech in 1878–79.  It was excavated in the 1960s by the Italian Archaeological Mission.

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Tradition has associated this place as the Villa of Publius, who was the "chief official of the island" when Paul landed there.

Acts 28:7     There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably.  8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him

There is no certain proof that would make this is true, but the Villa was in existence in Paul's day and it is not too far from three bays that have been proposed as where Paul's ship was wrecked:  Salina Bay 1 mi. to the northeast, St. Paul's Bay 1 mi. to the northwest, and Mellieha Bay 3.5 mi. to the northwest.