Eric Berggren and the Swedish Institute in Rome excavated a Republican period rural structure or villa at the site of Selvasecca di Blera between 1965 and 1967, with preliminary results published in 1969.[4][5] The hill of Selvasecca lies about 6 km southwest of Blera itself.[6] The villa site is marked by a courtyard building that includes a remarkable vaulted cistern built using opus caementicium.