The Roman Villa. “Man who lives in the city longs for the informality of country living, the healthfulness of the air, the opportunity for exercise, especially.

The Roman Villa

“Man who lives in the city longs for the informality of country living, the

healthfulness of the air, the opportunity for exercise, especially hunting and fishing in a place which offers undisturbed intellectual and

creative activities, leisurely conversation with friends and the

delights of contemplating the natural and cultivated landscape in different

seasons and conditions.”-Virgil, 70 BCE – 19 BCE

Villa Poppaea, between Naples and Sorrento

The Roman home, or domus, is both

similar and yet strikingly different

to our houses today.

First, the houses came right up to the

sidewalk with no lawn.

Second, windows were few, small, and

placed fairly high. They never had

doors but curtains to cover doorways.

Third, houses were usually one story high – sometimes with rare second

floors.

The main entrance would face the street. There were typically shops, tabernae, that sit on either

side of this entrance hall or faucēs. They were often operated or rented by the domus occupant.

After passing through the ianua, you would enter into

the atrium, which was typically the most impressive

room used for family occasions and receiving

visitors. In the center, the roof would slope down into a large square opening known as the compluvium. Air and light would stream into the room.

Any water would collect into a shallow impluvium.

What else would you find in the atrium?-lararium-portraits, statues, bronze lampshades, marble tables

The bedrooms, cubiculum, were often found to the

right and left of the atrium. The Romans did not sleep in beds but on

couches.

Straight ahead of the atrium would be the

tablinum. The triclinium would be the side of the office. Narrow hallways

would run parallel to this study and would lead into

the second half of the house.

Continuing through the hallway would lead you to the peristylium, which

was made up of a colonnade of pillars

surrounding an open-air hortus. Surrounding this

part of the house would be the culina, the summer triclinium, the latrina, servants’ quarters, and

storage rooms.

Rich v. Poor

Not all Romans lived in the country-longing domus – the typical town houses we see frequently were for the wealthy.

The poor, however, lived in apartments known as insulae or “islands”. They were multiple level apartment buildings that often were comprised of one or two rooms per family and had very little amenities.

A mosaic. a tablinum

A fishpond.