Roman Architecture
Document Sample
HISTORY REPORT
TOPIC
ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
PREPARED BY
PUNEET ARORA
INDEX
1. INTRODUCTION TO ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
2. MATERIALS USED IN ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
3. BUILDING TECHNIQUES
4. THE ARCH AND THE DOME
5. LIST OF BUILDINGS, FEATURES AND TYPES OF BUILDINGS
6. GLOSSARY
7. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 INDEX | Roman Architecture
INTRODUCTION TO ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
The Architecture of Ancient Rome adopted the external Greek architecture around
12th century B.C. for their own purposes, creating a new architectural style. The
Romans absorbed Greek influence, apparent in many aspects closely related to
architecture; for example, this can be seen in the introduction and use of the
Triclinium in Roman villas as a place and manner of dining. The Romans, similarly,
were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a
wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics
and in the construction of arches.
Social elements such as wealth and high population densities in cities forced the
ancient Romans to discover new (architectural) solutions of their own. The use of
vaults and arches together with a sound knowledge of building materials, for example,
enabled them to achieve unprecedented successes in the construction of imposing
structures for public use. Examples include the aqueducts of Rome, the Baths of
Diocletian and the Baths of Caracalla, the basilicas and Colosseum. They were
reproduced at smaller scale in most important towns and cities in the Empire. Some
surviving structures are almost complete, such as the town walls of Lugo in Hispania
Tarraconensis, or northern Spain.
Political propaganda demanded that these buildings should be made to impress as
well as perform a public function.[citation needed] The Romans didn't feel restricted
by Greek aesthetic axioms alone in order to achieve these objectives.[citation needed]
The Pantheon is a supreme example of this, particularly in the version rebuilt by
Hadrian and which still stands in its celestial glory as a prototype of several other
great buildings of Eastern architecture. The same emperor left his mark on the
landscape of northern Britain when he built a wall to mark the limits of the empire,
and after further conquests in Scotland, the Antonine wall was built to replace
Hadrian's Wall.
1 Introduction to Roman Architecture | Roman Architecture
THE ARCH AND THE DOME
The Roman use of the arch and their improvements in the use of concrete and bricks
facilitated the building of the many aqueducts throughout the empire, such as the
magnificent Aqueduct of Segovia and the eleven aqueducts in Rome itself, such as
Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus. The same idea produced numerous bridges, such as the
still used bridge at Mérida.
The dome permitted construction of vaulted ceilings and provided large covered
public space such as the public baths and basilicas. The Romans based much of their
architecture on the dome, such as Hadrian's Pantheon in the city of Rome, the Baths
of Diocletian and the Baths of Caracalla.
Art historians such as Gottfried Richter in the 20's identified the Roman architectural
innovation as being the Triumphal Arch and it is poignant to see how this symbol of
power on earth was transformed and utilised within the Christian basilicas when the
Roman Empire of the West was on its last legs: The arch was set before the altar to
symbolize the triumph of Christ and the after life. It is in their impressive aqueducts
that we see the arch triumphant, especially in the many surviving examples, such as
the Pont du Gard, the aqueduct at Segovia and the remains of the Aqueducts of Rome
itself. Their survival is testimony to the durability of their materials and design.
The Romans first adopted the arch from the Greeks, and implemented it in their own
building. An arch is a very strong shape as no single spot holds all the weight and is
still used in architecture today.
1 The Arch and the Dome | Roman Architecture
MATERIALS USED IN ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
Tile covered concrete quickly supplanted marble as the primary building material and more daring buildings soon
followed, with great pillars supporting broad arches and domes rather than dense lines of columns suspending flat
architraves. The freedom of concrete also inspired the colonnade screen, a row of purely decorative columns in front of
a load-bearing wall. In smaller-scale architecture, concrete's strength freed the floor plan from rectangular cells to a
more free-flowing environment. Most of these developments are ably described by Vitruvius writing in the first century
AD in his work De Architectura.
Roman architects invented Roman concrete and used it in buildings where it could stand on its own and support a great
deal of weight. The first use of concrete by the Romans was in the town of Cosa sometime after 273 BC. Ancient Roman
concrete was a mixture of lime mortar, pozzolana, water, and stones, and stronger than previously-used concrete. The
ancient builders placed these ingredients in wooden frames where it hardened and bonded to a facing of stones or
(more frequently) bricks. When the framework was removed, the new wall was very strong with a rough surface of
bricks or stones. This surface could be smoothed and faced with an attractive stucco or thin panels of marble or other
coloured stones called revetment. Concrete construction proved to be more flexible and less costly than building solid
stone buildings. The materials were readily available and not difficult to transport. The wooden frames could be used
more than once, allowing builders to work quickly and efficiently.
On return from campaigns in Greece, the general Sulla returned with what is probably the most well-known element of
the early imperial period: the mosaic, a decoration of colourful chips of stone inset into cement. This tiling method took
the empire by storm in the late first century and the second century and in the Roman home joined the well known
mural in decorating floors, walls, and grottoes in geometric and pictorial designs.
Though most would consider concrete the Roman contribution most relevant to the modern world, the Empire's style of
architecture can still be seen throughout Europe and North America in the arches and domes of many governmental and
religious buildings.
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BUILDING TECHNIQUES
1 Building Techniques | Roman Architecture
LIST OF BUILDINGS, FEATURES AND TYPES OF BUILDINGS
1. Public architecture
a) Amphitheatre - (List of Roman amphitheatres)
b) Basilica
c) Insulae
d) Temple (Roman)
e) Roman theatre
f) Thermae
g) Triumphal arch
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (alternatively amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for dramatical or theatrical performances used
in greek drama performances. There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word 'amphitheatre' is
used: Ancient amphitheatres, built by the ancient Romans, were large central performance spaces surrounded by
ascending seating, and were commonly used for spectator sports; these compare more closely to modern open-air
stadia. They were given this name because their shape resembled that of two theatres joined together. Modern
amphitheatres (incorrectly so named, but the word has come to be used in this sense) are more typically used for
theatrical or concert performances and typically feature a more traditionally theatrical-style stage with the audience
only on one side, usually at an arc of less than a semicircle; these compare more closely to the theatres of ancient
Greece, and have been more commonly built throughout history as performance spaces. Amphitheatres are typically
man-made, though there are also geological formations used in the same manner which are known as natural
amphitheatres. Special events and games were held in ancient Roman amphitheatres, such as the gladiator games.
The term derives from the ancient Greek amphi-, meaning "around", or "on both sides" and théātron, meaning "place
for viewing"
The earliest permanent Roman amphitheatre known was built at Pompeii after a colonia of Roman veteran soldiers was
established there in 80 B.C. Before this, gladiatorial contests would take place in the forum of Rome and other cities.
There are many famous examples from the Roman Classical period. Being particularly associated with ancient Rome,
amphitheatres were used for various types of public spectacles. In the Roman Empire, amphitheatres were nearly
square, or oval in shape (the name suggests that they were thought of as resembling two theatres joined
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together,[citation needed] hence the name "amphi"-theatre),[citation needed] forming a complete near-circle or ellipse,
and were used for spectator sports, games and displays.
This is in contrast to a Greek or Roman classical theatre, which was semicircular and used for theatrical performances
(but also for gladiators in areas where amphitheatres were not available).[citation needed] An amphitheatre also
differed from a Roman circus or Greek hippodrome, both of which were used for chariot racing and horse racing and
were shaped more like a very long, narrow horse shoe. The best-known amphitheatre in the world is the Colosseum in
Rome, which is more correctly termed the Flavian amphitheatre (Amphitheatrum Flavii), after the Flavian dynasty who
had it built. An amphitheatre in a community became a prized symbol of Roman citizenship in the outlying areas of Italy
and could fit up to 2,000 people. The remains of some 230 amphitheatres have been located in widely scattered areas of
the Roman Empire.
Basilica
The Latin word basilica (derived from Greek, Basilikè Stoá, Royal Stoa, the tribunal chamber of a king), was originally
used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas begin to appear
in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.
Basilicas were also used for religious purposes. The remains of a large subterranean Neopythagorean basilica dating
from the first century were found near the Porta Maggiore in Rome in 1915; the stuccoes on the interior vaulting have
survived, though their exact interpretation remains a matter for debate. The ground-plan of Christian basilicas in the 4th
century was similar to that of this Neopythagorean basilica, which had three naves, and an apse.
After the Roman Empire became officially Christian, the term came by extension specifically to refer to a large and
important church that has been given special ceremonial rites by the Pope. Thus the word retains two senses today, one
architectural and the other ecclesiastical.
Insula-Housing
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In Roman architecture, an insula (plural insulae) was a large apartment building where the
plebs (lower and middle classes) and equites (upper-middle class) of Roman civilization dwelt.
The floor at ground level was used for tabernae, shops and businesses, with the living space on
the higher floors.
The urbanization of the larger Roman cities caused a great demand for housing which was
within a comparable vicinity of the city center and real estate was therefore at a premium. As
such, private houses were a luxury which only the wealthy could afford. This led to a majority
of the inhabitants of the inner city living in apartment and tenement housing called insulae.
Although less visible level to the modern observer, ancient Roman developments in housing
and public hygiene are impressive, especially given their day and age. Clear examples are
public and private baths and latrines, and under-floor heating in the form of the hypocaust,
double glazing (examples in Ostia Antica), and piped water(examples in Pompeii).
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Possibly most impressive from an urban planning point of view are the multi-story apartment
blocks called insulae that catered to a wide range of residential situations. These buildings,
solely intended for large scale accommodation, could reach several floors in height. Insulates
were often dangerous, unhealthy, and prone to fires. There are examples in cities like the
Roman port town of Ostia, that date back to the reign of Trajan and show how Roman
architects met residential needs in a variety of situations.
As an example, consider the housing on Via della Focette: a large-scale real estate
development that catered to up-and-coming middle class entrepreneurs. Rather like modern
semi-detached housing, these residences had repeated floor plans intended for easy,
economical, and repetitive construction. Internal spaces were designed to be relatively low-
cost, yet functional and with decorative elements reminiscent of the detached houses and
villas to which the buyers might aspire later in their lives. Each apartment had its own terrace
and private entrance. External walls were in "Opus Reticulatum" and interiors in "Opus
Incertum", which would then be plastered and sometimes painted. Some existing examples
show that a popular choice of interior decor was to paint panels in alternating red and
rainbow.
Construction
These houses were often constructed at minimal expenses for speculative purposes. The
insulae were therefore of poor construction (timber, mud brick, and later primitive concrete)
and prone to fire and collapse, as described by Juvenal. Because of the inherent safety issues
and extra flights of stairs, the uppermost floors were the least desirable, and thus the
cheapest to rent. Often those floors were without heating or running water and only
sometimes had lavatories, necessitating the use of public latrines by their residents. Living
quarters were typically smallest in the building's uppermost floors, with the largest and most
expensive apartments being located on the bottom floors. The insulae could be up to six or
seven stories high (some were even 8 or 9 stories high- these very tall buildings were being
built before the height restrictions).[citation needed] A single insula could accommodate over
40 people in only 3,600 sq ft (330 m2), however the entire structure usually had about 6 to 7
apartments, each had about 1000 sq ft
Roman Temples
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In ancient Roman religion, practitioners often performed their worship at a temple, that is, a
structure that housed the image of the deity and an altar. The English word "temple" derives
from Latin templum, which was originally not a building, but a sacred area marked out ritually.
The word templum later came to mean the building itself. Other words the Romans used for a
temple or shrine are aedes, delubrum, and fanum.
Sacrifices would take place at an altar within the templum precinct. Since the public
ceremonies took place outdoors, the building itself served mainly to house the cult statue
which was kept in the main room (cella). The cella might also have a small altar for incense or
libations. Behind the cella was a room or rooms used by the attendants for storage of
equipment and offerings.
Roman Theatres
The characteristics of Roman theatres are similar to those of the earlier Greek theatres due in
large part to its influence on the Roman triumvir Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Much of the
architectural influence on the Romans came from the Greeks, and theatre structural design
was no different from other buildings. However, Roman theatres have specific differences,
such as being built upon their own foundations instead of earthen works or a hillside and
being completely enclosed on all sides. Roman theatres derive their basic design from the
Theatre of Pompey, the first permanent Roman theatre.
Thermae
The terms balnea (from Greek βαλανείον) or thermae (from Greek thermos 'hot') were the
words the ancient Romans used for the buildings housing their public baths.
Most Roman cities had at least one, if not many, such buildings, which were centers of public
bathing and socialization. Baths were extremely important for Romans. They went daily and
stayed there for several hours. Wealthier Romans were accompanied by one or more slaves.
After paying a fee, they would strip naked and wear sandals to protect their feet from heated
floors. Slaves carried their masters' towels and got them drinks. Before bathing, patrons
exercised. They did things such as running, mild weight-lifting, wrestling, and swimming. After
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exercising, servants covered their masters in oil and scraped it off with a strigil (a scraper made
of wood or bone) which cleaned off the dirt.
Roman bath-houses were also provided for private villas, town houses and forts; these were
also called thermae. They were supplied with water from an adjacent river or stream, or more
normally, by an aqueduct. The design of baths is discussed by Vitruvius in De Architectura.
Building layout
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Plan of the Old Baths at Pompeii
A public bath was built around three principal rooms: the caldarium (hot bath), the tepidarium
(warm bath) and the frigidarium (cold bath). Some thermae also featured steam baths: the
sudatorium, a moist steam bath, and the laconicum, a dry steam bath much like a modern
sauna.
By way of illustration, this article will describe the layout of Pompeii's Old Baths adjoining the
forum, which are among some of the best-preserved Roman baths. The references are to the
floor plan pictured to the right.[11]
The whole building comprises a double set of baths, one for men and the other for women. It
has six different entrances from the street, one of which (b) gives admission to the smaller
women's set only. Five other entrances lead to the men's department, of which two (c and c2),
communicate directly with the furnaces, and the other three (a3, a2, a) with the bathing
apartments.
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Atrium
Passing through the principal entrance, a, which is removed from the street by a narrow
footway surrounding the building and after descending three steps, the bather finds a small
chamber on his left (x) which contained a water closet (latrina), and proceeds into a covered
portico (g, g), which ran round three sides of an open court (atrium, A). These together formed
the vestibule of the baths (vestibulum balnearum[12]), in which the servants waited.
Use of the Atrium
This atrium was the exercise ground for the young men, or perhaps served as a promenade for
visitors to the baths. Within this court the keeper of the baths (balneator), who exacted the
quadrans paid by each visitor, was also stationed. The room f, which runs back from the
portico, might have been appropriated to him; but most probably it was an oecus or exedra,
for the convenience of the better classes while awaiting the return of their acquaintances from
the interior. In this court, advertisements for the theatre, or other announcements of general
interest, were posted up, one of which, announcing a gladiatorial show, still remains. At the
sides of the entrance were stone seats (scholae).
[edit] Apodyterium and frigidarium
The apodyterium
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The frigidarium
A passage (e) leads into the apodyterium (B), a room for undressing in which all visitors must
have met before entering the baths proper. Here, the bathers removed their clothing, which
was taken in charge by slaves known as capsarii, notorious in ancient times for their
dishonesty.[13] The apodyterium was a spacious chamber, with stone seats along two sides of
the wall (h, h). Holes are still visible on the walls, and probably mark the places where the pegs
for the bathers' clothes were set. The chamber was lighted by a glass window, and had six
doors. One of these led to the tepidarium (D) and another to the frigidarium (C), with its cold
plunge-bath (referred to as loutron, natatio, natatorium, piscina, baptisterium or puteus; the
terms "natatio" and "natatorium" suggest that some of those baths were also swimming
pools). The bath in this chamber is of white marble, approached by two marble steps.
Tepidarium
The tepidarium
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From the frigidarium the bather who wished to go through the warm bath and sweating
process entered the tepidarium (D). It did not contain water either at Pompeii or at the baths
of Hippias, but was merely heated with warm air of an agreeable temperature, in order to
prepare the body for the great heat of the vapour and warm baths, and, upon returning, to
prevent a too-sudden transition to the open air. In the baths at Pompeii this chamber also
served as an apodyterium for those who took the warm bath. The walls feature a number of
separate compartments or recesses for receiving the garments when taken off. The
compartments are divided from each other by figures of the kind called Atlantes or
Telamones, which project from the walls and support a rich cornice above them.
Three bronze benches were also found in the room, which was heated as well by its contignity
to the hypocaust of the adjoining chamber, as by a brazier of bronze (foculus), in which the
charcoal ashes were still remaining when the excavation was made. Sitting and perspiring
beside such a brazier was called ad flammam sudare.[14]
Use of the Tepidarium
The tepidarium is generally the most highly ornamented room in baths. It was merely a room
to sit in and be anointed in. In the Old Baths at Pompeii the floor is mosaic, the arched ceiling
adorned with stucco and painting on a coloured ground, the walls red.
Anointing was performed by slaves called unctores and aliptae. It sometimes took place before
going to the hot bath, and sometimes after the cold bath, before putting on the clothes, in
order to check the perspiration.[15] Some baths had a special room (destrictarium or
unctorium) for this purpose.
Caldarium
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The caldarium, as it is in the Old Baths
From the tepidarium a door opened into the caldarium (E), whose mosaic floor was directly
above the furnace or hypocaust. Its walls also were hollow, forming a great flue filled with
heated air. At one end was a round basin (labrum), and at the other a quadrangular
bathingplace (puelos, alveus, solium, calida piscina), approached from the platform (schola) by
steps. The labrum held cold water, for pouring upon the bather's head before he left the
room. These basins are of marble in the Old Baths, but we hear of alvei of solid silver.[16]
Because of the great heat of the room, the caldarium was but slightly ornamented.
Laconicum
The Old Baths have no laconicum, which was a chamber still hotter than the caldarium, and
used simply as a sweating-room, having no bath. It was said to have been introduced at Rome
by Agrippa[17] and was also called sudatorium and assa.
Service areas
A three-tiered water boiler (miliarium)
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The apodyterium has a passage (q) communicating with the mouth of the furnace (r), called
praefurnium or propigneum; and, passing down that passage, we reach the chamber M, into
which the praefurnium projects, and which is entered from the street at c. It was assigned to
the fornacatores, or persons in charge of the fires. Of its two staircases, one leads to the roof
of the baths, and one to the boilers containing the water.
There were three boilers, one of which (caldarium vas) held the hot water; a second, the tepid
(tepidarium); and the third, the cold (frigidarium). The warm water was turned into the warm
bath by a pipe through the wall, marked on the plan. Underneath the hot chamber was set the
circular furnace d, of more than 7 ft. in diameter, which heated the water and poured hot air
into the hollow cells of the hypocaustum. It passed from the furnace under the first and last of
the caldrons by two flues, which are marked on the plan. The boiler containing hot water was
placed immediately over the furnace; and, as the water was drawn out from there, it was
supplied from the next, the tepidarium, which was raised a little higher and stood a little way
off from the furnace. It was already considerably heated from its contiguity to the furnace and
the hypocaust below it, so that it supplied the deficiency of the former without materially
diminishing its temperature; and the vacuum in this last was again filled up from the farthest
removed, which contained the cold water received directly from the square reservoir seen
behind them. The boilers themselves no longer remain, but the impressions which they have
left in the mortar in which they were imbedded are clearly visible, and enable us to determine
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their respective positions and dimensions. Such coppers or boilers appear to have been called
miliaria, from their similarity of shape to a milestone.[18]
Behind the boilers, another corridor leads into the court or atrium (K) appropriated to the
servants of the bath.
Women's bath
The women's bath
The adjoining, smaller set of baths were assigned to the women. The entrance is by the door b,
which conducts into a small vestibule (m) and from there into the apodyterium (H), which, like
the one in the men's bath, has a seat (pulvinus, gradus) on either side built up against the wall.
This opens upon a cold bath (J), answering to the natatio of the men's set, but of much smaller
dimensions. There are four steps on the inside to descend into it.
Opposite to the door of entrance into the apodyterium is another doorway which leads to the
tepidarium (G), which also communicates with the thermal chamber (F), on one side of which
is a warm bath in a square recess, and at the farther extremity the labrum. The floor of this
chamber is suspended, and its walls perforated for flues, like the corresponding one in the
men's baths. The tepidarium in the women's baths had no brazier, but it had a hanging or
suspended floor.
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Purpose
The baths often included, aside from the three main rooms listed above, a palaestra, or
outdoor gymnasium where men would engage in various ball games and exercises. There,
among other things, weights were lifted and the discus thrown. Men would oil themselves (as
soap was still a luxury good and thus not widely available), shower,[citation needed] and
remove the excess with a strigil (cf. the well known Apoxyomenus of Lysippus from the Vatican
Museum). Often wealthy bathers would bring a capsarius, a slave that carried his master's
towels, oils, and strigils to the baths and then watched over them once in the baths, as thieves
and pickpockets were known to frequent the baths.
The changing room was known as the apodyterium (Greek apodyterion, apo + duo "to take
off" here of clothing)
Triumphal Arch
A triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of a monumental archway, in theory built to
celebrate a victory in war, but often used to celebrate a ruler.
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A Roman classical triumphal arch was a free-standing structure, quite separate from city gates
or walls, but the form is often used in engaged arches as well. In its simplest form a triumphal
arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crowned with a flat superstructure or
attic on which a statue might be mounted or which bears commemorative inscriptions. The
structure should be decorated with carvings, notably including "Victories", winged female
figures (very similar to angels), a pair of which typically occupy the curved triangles beside the
top of the arch curve. More elaborate triumphal arches have flanking subsidiary archways,
typically a pair.
The rhythmic ABA motif—of central arched void flanked by smaller ones—was adapted in
Classical architecture, particularly since the Renaissance, to articulate the walls of structures.
The voids may take the form of niches or be "blind", with masonry continuous behind.
In the basilican architecture of the Early Christian period, triumphal arch is a particular term
for the arch at the end of the nave, leading to the apse - called the chancel arch in later
buildings. This was often a focus of decoration in mosaic or paint.
2. Domus
Domus (genitive domūs or domī) is the Latin term meaning house or home. In ancient Rome,
these structures were occupied by the wealthy and middle class freedmen during the
Republican and Imperial eras.[1] They could be found in almost all the major cities throughout
the Roman territories. The modern English word domestic comes from Latin domesticus,
which is derived from the word domus.[2] The word dom in modern Slavic languages means
"home" and is a cognate of the Latin word, going back to Proto-Indo-European. Along with a
domus in the city, many of the richest families of ancient Rome also owned a separate country
house known as a villa. While many chose to live primarily, or even exclusively, in their villas,
these homes were generally much grander in scale and on larger acres of land due to more
space outside the walled and fortified city.
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The elite classes of Roman society constructed their residences with elaborate marble
decorations, inlaid marble paneling, door jambs and columns as well as expensive paintings
and frescoes.[3] Many poor and lower middle class Romans lived in crowded, dirty and mostly
rundown rental apartments, known as insulae. These multi-level apartment blocks were built
as high and tightly together as possible and held far less status and convenience than the
private homes of the prosperous.
Interior architectural elements
A schematic of a domus.
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Vestibulum (Fauces)
The vestibulum was the main entryway hall of the Roman Domus. It is usually only seen in
grander structures, however many urban homes had shops or rental space directly off the
streets with the front door between. The vestibulum would run the length of these front
Tabernae shops. This created security by keeping the main portion of the domus off the street.
In homes that did not have spaces for let in front, either rooms or a closed area would still be
separated by a separate vestibulum.
Atrium (plural atria)
The atrium was the most important part of the house, where guests and dependents
(clientes) were greeted. The atrium was open in the centre, surrounded at least in part by
high-ceilinged porticoes that often contained only sparse furnishings to give the effect of a
large space. In the centre was a square roof opening called the compluvium in which rainwater
could come, draining inwards from the slanted tiled roof. Directly below the compluvium was
the impluvium.
Impluvium
An impluvium was basically a drain pool, a shallow rectangular sunken portion of the Atrium
to gather rainwater, which drained into an underground cistern. The impluvium was often
lined with marble, and around which usually was a floor of small mosaic.
Fauces
These were similar in design and function of the vestibulum but were found deeper into the
domus. Separated by the length of another room, entry to a different portion of the residence
was accessed by these passage way we would call halls or hallways.
Tablinum
Between the atrium and the peristyle, the tablinum would be constituted. Sort of office for the
dominus, who would receive his clients for the morning salutatio. The dominus was able to
command the house visually from this vantage point as the head of the social authority of the
paterfamilias.
Triclinium
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The Roman dining room. The area had three couches, klinai, on three sides of a low square
table.
Alae
Cubiculum
Culina The kitchen in a roman house. It was dark and gloomy and smoke filled the room
because there was no chimney. This is where slaves prepared food for their masters and
guests in roman times.
Posticum
Exterior
The exterior of the domus depicting the entrance with ositum
The back part of the house was centred around the peristyle much as the front centred on the atrium. The peristylium
was a small garden often surrounded by a columned passage, the model of the medieval cloister. Surrounding the
peristyle were the bathrooms, kitchen and summer triclinium. The kitchen was usually a very small room with a small
masonry counter wood-burning stove. The wealthy had a slave who worked as a cook and spent nearly all his or her
time in the kitchen. During a hot summer day the family ate their meals in the summer triclinium to stave off the heat.
Most of the light came from the compluvium and the open peristylium.
There were no clearly defined separate spaces for slaves or for women. Slaves were ubiquitous in a Roman household
and slept outside their masters' doors at night; women used the atrium and other spaces to work once the men had left
for the forum. There was also no clear distinction between rooms meant solely for private use and public rooms, as any
private room could be opened to guests at a moment's notice.
Exterior architectural elements
Ostium
Tabernae
Compluvium The roof over atrium which was purposely slanted to drain rain water into the impluvium pool. This was
generally sloped inwards but many designs have the roofs sloping the opposite direction away from the center opening.
Peristyle
Piscina
Exedra
1 List of buildings, features and types of buildings | Roman Architecture
GLOSSARY
1 Glossary | Roman Architecture
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Colosseum in Rome, Italy
1 Bibliography | Roman Architecture
ANCIENT ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
One of the symbols of Rome is the Colosseum (70–80 AD), the largest amphitheatre
ever built in the Roman Empire. Originally capable of seating 60,000 spectators, it was
used for gladiatorial combat. A list of important monuments and sites of ancient Rome
includes the Roman Forum, the Domus Aurea, the Pantheon, Trajan's Column, Trajan's
Market, the Catacombs, the Circus Maximus, the Baths of Caracalla, Castel
Sant'Angelo, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the Ara Pacis, the Arch of Constantine, the
Pyramid of Cestius, and the Bocca della Verità.
MEDIEVAL ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
Often overlooked, Rome's medieval heritage is one of the largest in Italian cities.
Basilicas dating from the Paleochristian age include Santa Maria Maggiore and San
Paolo Fuori le Mura (the latter largely rebuilt in the 19th century), both housing
precious 4th century AD mosaics. Later notable medieval mosaic and fresco art can be
also found in the churches of Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santi Quattro Coronati, and
Santa Prassede. Lay buildings include a number of towers, the largest being the Torre
1 Ancient Roman Architecture | Roman Architecture
delle Milizie and the Torre dei Conti, both next the Roman Forum, and the huge
staircase leading to the basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli.
RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE
Rome was a major world centre of the Renaissance, second only to Florence, and was
profoundly affected by the movement. Among others, a masterpiece of Renaissance
architecture in Rome is the Piazza del Campidoglio by Michelangelo. During this
period, the great aristocratic families of Rome used to build opulent dwellings as the
Palazzo del Quirinale (now seat of the President of the Italian Republic), the Palazzo
Venezia, the Palazzo Farnese, the Palazzo Barberini, the Palazzo Chigi (now seat of the
Italian Prime Minister), the Palazzo Spada, the Palazzo della Cancelleria, and the Villa
Farnesina.
Many of the famous city's squares - some huge, majestic and often adorned with
obelisks, some small and pictoresque - got their present shape during the Renaissance
and Baroque. The principal ones are Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, Campo de' Fiori,
Piazza Venezia, Piazza Farnese, Piazza della Rotonda and Piazza della Minerva. One of
the most emblematic examples of Baroque art is the Fontana di Trevi by Nicola Salvi.
Other notable 17th-century baroque palaces are the Palazzo Madama, now the seat of
the Italian Senate and the Palazzo Montecitorio, now the seat of the Chamber of
Deputies of Italy.
NEOCLASSICISM
In 1870, Rome became the capital city of the new Kingdom of Italy. During this time,
neoclassicism, a building style influenced by the architecture of antiquity, became a
predominant influence in Roman architecture. During this period, many great palaces
in neoclassical styles were built to host ministries, embassies, and other governing
agencies. One of the best-known symbols of Roman neoclassicism is the Monument of
Vittorio Emanuele II or "Altar of the Fatherland", where the Grave of the Unknown
Soldier, that represents the 650,000 Italians that fell in World War I, is located.
FASCIST ARCHITECTURE
1 Renaissance and Baroque | Roman Architecture
The Fascist regime that ruled in Italy between 1922 and 1943 developed an
architectural style that was characterised by its links with ancient Roman architecture.
The most important Fascist site in Rome is the E.U.R district, designed in 1938 by
Marcello Piacentini. It was originally conceived for the 1942 world exhibition, and was
called "E.42" ("Esposizione 42"). The world exhibition, however, never took place
because Italy entered the Second World War in 1940. The most representative
building of the Fascist style at E.U.R. is the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (1938–1943),
the iconic design of which has been labelled the cubic or Square Colosseum. After
World War II, the Roman authorities found that they already had the seed of an off-
centre business district of the type that other capitals were still planning (London
Docklands and La Défense in Paris). Also the Palazzo della Farnesina, the current seat
of Italian Foreign Ministry, was designed in 1935 in Fascist style.
1 Fascist architecture | Roman Architecture
