The palace is organized around a large peristyle courtyard and included a domed sanctuary dedicated to Herakles Patroos and luxurious banqueting areas for the king and officials. A mosaic floor is preserved in one of them.
In the south wing of the palace of the Aeges that has been excavated in Vergina, the imposing ensemble of three contiguous rooms which constituted the "royal residence" stands out. The central room, open to the portico, leads to the two men's rooms, which were rooms suitable for banquets.
The rooms of the "house" were decorated with brilliant mosaics, of which only one survives today. The pericentric floral composition inscribed in a square consists of a central flower and a cluster of tendrils and other floral ornaments branching gracefully and symmetrically towards the periphery.
In the corners of the mosaic are represented four female figures carrying baskets on their heads while their torsos end downwards in a floral ornament (probably potnias of vegetation). The mosaic is made with black, white, gray, red and yellow pebbles of many shades and dates to the second half of the 4th century BC.
The greater part of the western wing of the palace of Vergina is occupied by three equal, nearly square spaces which open towards the portico. The floor of these three rooms was covered by elaborate marble. In each room the marbling is surrounded by a narrow mosaic panel, slightly elevated, where couches were probably placed for banquets. Impressive is the way of housing these very large halls without the use of pillars. This element reveals the high-level knowledge and great technical experience of the builders of the palace.
The now destroyed north wing of the Vergina palace consisted of a series of square halls. Along the entire length of the northern wall of the wing extends a long open terrace with a low protective shield made of pumice stone.
The inclusion of the exterior in the palace adds a new element to the traditional design of the closed ancient Greek house which opens it to the outside. At the same time, a model is created that will become widely known in the history of architecture.
The exterior offered the occupants of the building a magnificent and panoramic view of the entire area of lower Aliakmons. From there one could gaze at the vast Macedonian plain with Pella to the north and the city of Veria to the west.
The Vault was the most important area of the palace of Vergina. It is a circular, inscribed square, room located in the eastern wing of the palace building.
The function of the Vault was multiple, as it was simultaneously used as a sanctuary, throne room or banquet hall.
The official character of the building is confirmed by the discovery inside it of an inscription (HERAKLEI PATROIOI) referring to Herakles, the mythical progenitor of the Argeadian dynasty, from whom the Macedonian kings boasted of descent.
Near the palace of the Aeges, the foundations of a large building were discovered which adjoin the western side of the large palace. The building, which is a miniature of the palace, consists of a large central courtyard with a peristyle and rooms opening on the north and west sides. The many interventions that the building received and the few ruins that have been saved do not allow an exact dating. Archaeologists believe that this is the old palace of the city that was preserved by the kings as a sign of respect for their past.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou