MYRON VILLAS A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa , the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic , villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity , sometimes transferred to the Church for reuse as a monastery . Then they gradually re-evolved through the Middle Ages into elegant upper-class country homes. In modern parlance, "villa" can refer to various types and sizes of residences, ranging from the suburban semi-detached double villa to residences in the wildland–urban interface .