Ancient Rome

Ancient RomeAncient Rome

Ancient Rome

Rome was built on the banks of the Tiber River that flowed through a gently Rome was built on the banks of the Tiber River that flowed through a gently rolling terrain distinguished by seven prominent hills. The low areas, those rolling terrain distinguished by seven prominent hills. The low areas, those with the most fertile soil, were the earliest to be developed. Over time, farming with the most fertile soil, were the earliest to be developed. Over time, farming took place beyond the seven hills and the city drained and filled the marshy took place beyond the seven hills and the city drained and filled the marshy lowlands. The Forum, at the base of the Capitoline and Palatine Hills, is the lowlands. The Forum, at the base of the Capitoline and Palatine Hills, is the most ancient and sacred area of the city.most ancient and sacred area of the city.

Ancient Rome: Plan of the City

Capitoline

Aventine

Palatine CaelianJaniculum

Quirinal

Viminal

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Ancient Rome: The Diagram

Sometimes it helps to translate complex information into a well-organized and graphically succinct Sometimes it helps to translate complex information into a well-organized and graphically succinct diagram. This very legible drawing (annotated with the names of the Seven Hills) comes from Edmund diagram. This very legible drawing (annotated with the names of the Seven Hills) comes from Edmund Bacon’s book Bacon’s book Design of CitiesDesign of Cities. It identifies major landmarks in Rome during the classical period . It identifies major landmarks in Rome during the classical period between 200 BC and AD 200. between 200 BC and AD 200.

Capitoline

Aventine

PalatineCaelian

Janiculum

Quirinal

Viminal

Boundary wall

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The Forum: Government and Worship Together in a Sacred PlaceThe most sacred of places in The most sacred of places in the city of Rome was the the city of Rome was the Ancient Forum, birthplace Ancient Forum, birthplace of Roman civilization and of Roman civilization and the center of public life. the center of public life. Orators used the art of Orators used the art of rhetoric to strengthen the rhetoric to strengthen the perception of the Roman perception of the Roman Empire as the center of the Empire as the center of the world--and the emperor as a world--and the emperor as a descendent of the gods. High descendent of the gods. High priests and vestile virgins priests and vestile virgins praised the gods and offered praised the gods and offered sacrifice at temple altars. sacrifice at temple altars. 527

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The Forum and The Forum and the Via Sacrathe Via SacraThe ancient Romans developed The ancient Romans developed the Forum around a processional the Forum around a processional route through the city known route through the city known today as the Via Sacra. Temples today as the Via Sacra. Temples and monuments to the gods and and monuments to the gods and the mighty emperors marked the mighty emperors marked this passage. The Forum, located this passage. The Forum, located just below the Senate on the just below the Senate on the Capitoline Hill, accommodated Capitoline Hill, accommodated the marketplace, speech-making the marketplace, speech-making and religious ritual. For political and religious ritual. For political gain, the distinction between the gain, the distinction between the activities was often intentionally activities was often intentionally blurred. blurred.

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Classical Motifs in Urban StructureRome has become a model Rome has become a model of urban design because of of urban design because of its sophisticated civic order, its sophisticated civic order, its beautifully articulated its beautifully articulated architectural grace, and its architectural grace, and its sensitive response to the sensitive response to the natural hydrological and natural hydrological and geological conditions of the geological conditions of the site. The city’s buildings site. The city’s buildings and public spaces were and public spaces were rendered with a geometric rendered with a geometric simplicity that established a simplicity that established a clarity for the immediate clarity for the immediate environment and the overall environment and the overall urban form. The consistent, urban form. The consistent, well-ordered street walls well-ordered street walls and courtyards gave way to and courtyards gave way to the topographic changes of the topographic changes of the defining hills and the the defining hills and the Tiber River’s edge. Tiber River’s edge.

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Roman Engineering, Roman IngenuityRoman Engineering, Roman Ingenuity

Rome’s urban development is decidedly a Rome’s urban development is decidedly a result of its engineering accomplishments. result of its engineering accomplishments. The arch was initially used to support The arch was initially used to support aqueduct and bridge structures throughout aqueduct and bridge structures throughout the city, bringing water directly from the the city, bringing water directly from the mountain source and spanning the Tiber mountain source and spanning the Tiber River for better communication and growth.River for better communication and growth.526

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Markets & TheatresMarkets & TheatresThe market structures and theaters were The market structures and theaters were often outdoor venues in this mild often outdoor venues in this mild Mediterranean climate. Although the Mediterranean climate. Although the winters were cool and wet, dry weather winters were cool and wet, dry weather prevailed most of the year. The Market prevailed most of the year. The Market of Trajan (below) was a crescent-shaped of Trajan (below) was a crescent-shaped enclosure not unlike the amphitheaters enclosure not unlike the amphitheaters that were so plentiful in the ancient city. that were so plentiful in the ancient city.

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The The Fabric of the City and the Fabric of the City and the PantheonPantheonRome was a tightly woven Rome was a tightly woven fabric of narrow, shaded fabric of narrow, shaded streets with periodic open streets with periodic open courtyards. Small blocks of courtyards. Small blocks of residential units created a residential units created a fine texture that contrasted fine texture that contrasted with large public buildings with large public buildings and the outdoor gathering and the outdoor gathering areas used for worship, areas used for worship, government, entertainment government, entertainment and commercial activities. and commercial activities. The Pantheon, a massive The Pantheon, a massive civic assembly hall, built in civic assembly hall, built in about AD 100 during the about AD 100 during the reign of the great Emperor reign of the great Emperor Hadrian, was a bold and Hadrian, was a bold and artful architectural gesture artful architectural gesture in the dense urban context. in the dense urban context. 505

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The PantheonThe Pantheon

The Pantheon exemplified the The Pantheon exemplified the hierarchy created when building hierarchy created when building and outdoor space cooperate to and outdoor space cooperate to announce a public activity. The announce a public activity. The open-air volume of a rectilinear open-air volume of a rectilinear forecourt once complemented forecourt once complemented the perceived weight and mass of the perceived weight and mass of the large drum and vast dome of the large drum and vast dome of the temple to dedicated to the the temple to dedicated to the emperor Agrippa. Access to the emperor Agrippa. Access to the inner temple was ceremoniously inner temple was ceremoniously approached through a guarded approached through a guarded entry opposite the portico on entry opposite the portico on axis with the the center of the axis with the the center of the dome. dome.

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The Pantheon’s Place in the CityThe Pantheon’s Place in the City

Today the Pantheon’s immediate surroundings Today the Pantheon’s immediate surroundings do not convey the same character in the shared do not convey the same character in the shared responsibility between building and forecourt, responsibility between building and forecourt, yet the Pantheon remains an important icon of yet the Pantheon remains an important icon of civic architecture and classically proportioned civic architecture and classically proportioned architectural form. The dome of the structure architectural form. The dome of the structure identifies this unique place in the overwhelming identifies this unique place in the overwhelming urban congestion of structures. urban congestion of structures. 507

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The Porch of the PantheonThe Porch of the Pantheon

The transition between the public circulation (street, piazza and, in ancient The transition between the public circulation (street, piazza and, in ancient Rome, the forecourt) into the inner sanctum of the temple rotunda begins with Rome, the forecourt) into the inner sanctum of the temple rotunda begins with the porch. This grand entry is both a practical and ceremonial gesture that the porch. This grand entry is both a practical and ceremonial gesture that celebrates the significance of the structure and the connection to the city. As in celebrates the significance of the structure and the connection to the city. As in many temple structures erected since Egyptian and Greek times, the columns many temple structures erected since Egyptian and Greek times, the columns of the portico initiate the ritual of passage and the sequence of spaces toward a of the portico initiate the ritual of passage and the sequence of spaces toward a sacred place within. sacred place within.

Ancient Rome

The development of the The development of the dome allowed vast areas of dome allowed vast areas of interior space to be built interior space to be built for public gathering. Prior for public gathering. Prior to this time, urban dwellers to this time, urban dwellers congregated outdoors or in congregated outdoors or in the more limiting basilica-the more limiting basilica-form structures that were form structures that were most common since the most common since the Greek period. The arch Greek period. The arch was a Roman invention and was a Roman invention and the dome was conceived as the dome was conceived as a series of arches turned a series of arches turned around a central point. around a central point. This ability to span large This ability to span large areas transformed Rome’s areas transformed Rome’s landscape with structures landscape with structures that began to serve the that began to serve the same purpose that the same purpose that the outdoor spaces had served. outdoor spaces had served.

The Pantheon DomeThe Pantheon Dome

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The Oculus of the PantheonThe Oculus of the Pantheon

The awe-inspiring expanse of the dome was The awe-inspiring expanse of the dome was made even more impressive by the opening made even more impressive by the opening at its center. The oculus, or eye, of the at its center. The oculus, or eye, of the ceiling is open to the light of the sun and the ceiling is open to the light of the sun and the stars of the sky. Rain (and on those rare stars of the sky. Rain (and on those rare occasions, snow) drifts through the opening occasions, snow) drifts through the opening and falls to the central drain in the floor.and falls to the central drain in the floor.

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The Pantheon’s Geometry and Mass

These illustrations of the Pantheon (from 17th century records) show the These illustrations of the Pantheon (from 17th century records) show the proportional relationships of the large cylindrical drum that supports the semi-proportional relationships of the large cylindrical drum that supports the semi-spherical dome. A complete sphere could fit within the space created by the spherical dome. A complete sphere could fit within the space created by the interior ceiling of the dome and the flat floor of the rotunda. A rectangular interior ceiling of the dome and the flat floor of the rotunda. A rectangular solid makes the transition between the curve of the drum and the triangular-solid makes the transition between the curve of the drum and the triangular-pediment porch and clearly articulates the connection with a simple geometric pediment porch and clearly articulates the connection with a simple geometric form. The elevation on the right has been inscribed with a circle to emphasize form. The elevation on the right has been inscribed with a circle to emphasize the spherical volume within the structure. the spherical volume within the structure.

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The Panntheon in Plan and SectionThe Panntheon in Plan and Section

These computer-generated drawings illustrate the Pantheon’s composition of These computer-generated drawings illustrate the Pantheon’s composition of simple and varied geometric forms that come together in a graceful, unified and simple and varied geometric forms that come together in a graceful, unified and comprehendible whole. The spherical volume is articulated in these two-comprehendible whole. The spherical volume is articulated in these two-dimensional drawings as circles in section (left) and plan (right). Compare the dimensional drawings as circles in section (left) and plan (right). Compare the plan here with the elevation on the previous page to see how the two coordinate. plan here with the elevation on the previous page to see how the two coordinate.

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ResourcesResourcesJellicoe, Geoffrey and Susan. The Landscape of Man: Shaping the Environment Jellicoe, Geoffrey and Susan. The Landscape of Man: Shaping the Environment from Prehistory to the Present Day. The Viking Press: New York, 1975.from Prehistory to the Present Day. The Viking Press: New York, 1975.

Moore, Charles W., William J. Mitchell, and William Turnbull, Jr. The Poetics Moore, Charles W., William J. Mitchell, and William Turnbull, Jr. The Poetics of Gardens. The MIT Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1988.of Gardens. The MIT Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1988.

Mumford, Lewis. The City in History; Its Origins, Its Transformations and Its Mumford, Lewis. The City in History; Its Origins, Its Transformations and Its Prospects. Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., New York , 1961.Prospects. Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., New York , 1961.

Newton, Norman T. Design on the Land: The Development of Landscape Newton, Norman T. Design on the Land: The Development of Landscape Architecture. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1971.Architecture. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1971.