In Latin there are two words to call housesIn Latin there are two words to call houses: :     Casa-ae: “ shack”Casa-ae: “ shack”

Domus-i (or domus-us):“house”.“house”.    

Roman Houses

                                             

 

CasaCasa

Casa-aeCasa-ae: : this word has been used to designate this word has been used to designate the most ancient kind of houses in Rome. They the most ancient kind of houses in Rome. They were simple shacks. They were rounds, made were simple shacks. They were rounds, made of logs with a thatched roof. We haven't got any of logs with a thatched roof. We haven't got any example of this kind of houses, but we have got example of this kind of houses, but we have got vases, funeral urns with its shape and some vases, funeral urns with its shape and some foundations in the Palatine Hill.foundations in the Palatine Hill.

Domus

Domus: this word is used to designate the tipycal Roman houses. According to its characteristics they are classed in three categories:• Domus: (Stately home):a single-family house. • Insula: apartment blocks. • Villa: house in the country to rest: urbana villa, or more usually a farmstead attached to an estate, complete with accommodations for the owner should he choose to visit: rustica villa.

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It is the Roman typical house, occupied in general It is the Roman typical house, occupied in general by an alone family.by an alone family.

It is orientated towards the interior. The air and It is orientated towards the interior. The air and the light penetrate through both central areas the light penetrate through both central areas which other rooms are grouped around: the which other rooms are grouped around: the atriumatrium and the and the peristylumperistylum..

It lacks exterior sight because the exterior It lacks exterior sight because the exterior windows are rare and slightly spacious.windows are rare and slightly spacious.

It has got usually an only floor. It has got usually an only floor. The diverse spaces are destined for an only use.The diverse spaces are destined for an only use.

Domus( Stately Home )

AtriumThe atrium originally was the bedroom of the mother of the family in an old Latin household. A further symbol connected with the atrium was the hearth, symbolism of homeliness, was situated in the atrium, the centre of the house and domestic life (the word atrium comes from the latin word “ater”: black, because of the smoke caused by the hearth there situated). The impluvium was the shallow pool sunk into floor to catch the rainwater Also it contained the little chapel to the ancestral spirits (lararium), the household safe (arca) and sometimes a bust of the master of the house.

LarariumLararium

The family shrine to the household The family shrine to the household gods is located in a small alcove just gods is located in a small alcove just off the off the atriumatrium. The Lares are the . The Lares are the gods that protect the family.gods that protect the family.

PeristylumThe peristylium ,the innerest room of the house, was in effect the garden of the house, usually surrounded by columns supporting the roof.Arund this space were opened the most important rooms of the house, the exedra, spacious room opened to the portico, the dinning room, triclinium and the others rooms, alae.Small statues and other ornamental artwork or outdoor furniture would adorn the space which, on sunny days, would be used as an outside dining area.

                                                                                         

Vestibulum, fauces and posticum

A Roman house did not open directly onto the A Roman house did not open directly onto the road, but into a small passage way, the road, but into a small passage way, the vestibulumvestibulum, the corridor which led from the main , the corridor which led from the main door onwards into thedoor onwards into the atriumatrium was called the was called the faucesfauces..

The Posticum:The Posticum: Aside from the main door, there was a servants Aside from the main door, there was a servants

entrance, the entrance, the posticumposticum, usually positioned at the , usually positioned at the side of the house. It was used slaves, servants, side of the house. It was used slaves, servants, humble visitors or sometimes even by the master humble visitors or sometimes even by the master of the house, who sought to leave the house of the house, who sought to leave the house unnoticed by the prying eyes of onlookers in the unnoticed by the prying eyes of onlookers in the main street. main street.

 

Vestibulum

TricliniumTriclinium

The triclinium was the Roman dining room. With the introduction of the Greek practice of reclining when eating, the triclinium was set aside as a room especially for dining in.In fact, in many houses once would find several triclinia, rooms designated as dining areas, allowing the family a choice of which room to eat in on any particular day.

Triclinium

A fresco painting of a triclinium, from Pompeii ( now in the Naples Archaeological Museum

Triclinium

BalneumNot all Roman homes had bathrooms. Many Romans simply went to public baths. This was a popular activity even for Romans with bathrooms, because it gave them a chance to socialize. The rich, who could afford bathrooms, could have sinks with both hot and cold running water and toilets to carry away their waste, though the toilet was usually located in the kitchen where other waste could be dumped in it. The bathroom might also have a pool or basin for bathing in.

Balneum

A hypocaust is an ancient Roman system of central heating. Hypocausts were used for heating public baths and private houses. The floor was raised above the ground by pillars, and spaces were left inside the walls so that hot air and smoke from the furnace (praefurnium) would pass through these enclosed areas, thereby heating but not polluting the interior of the room. It is calculated that the temperature obtained in the housings was not more than 30 degrees. Ceramic box tiles (tubuli) were placed inside the walls to both remove the hot burned air, and also to heat the walls.

Hipocaustum

Hipocaustum

Hipocaustum

TablinumTablinum TheThe tablinumtablinum was the large reception room of the house. It was situated was the large reception room of the house. It was situated

between the between the atrium atrium and the and the peristyliumperistylium. The . The tablinumtablinum generally had no generally had no wall separating it from the wall separating it from the atriumatrium at all and little if any walls dividing it at all and little if any walls dividing it from the from the peristyliumperistylium. . It was only separated from the It was only separated from the atriumatrium by a curtain by a curtain which could easily be drawn back and toward the which could easily be drawn back and toward the peristyliumperistylium it was it was separated by a wooden screen or wide doors. Hence if the doors/screens separated by a wooden screen or wide doors. Hence if the doors/screens and curtains of the and curtains of the tablinumtablinum were all opened to increase ventilation during were all opened to increase ventilation during a hot day, one could see from thea hot day, one could see from the atriumatrium through the through the tablinumtablinum into theinto the peristyliumperistylium. In the early days, the. In the early days, the tablinum tablinum would have acted as the study would have acted as the study of the head of the family, the of the head of the family, the paterfamilias. paterfamilias.

CulinaCulina

The The culina culina or kitchen was usually small, or kitchen was usually small, dark, and poorly ventilated, relegated to dark, and poorly ventilated, relegated to an obscure corner of the house. Wealthy an obscure corner of the house. Wealthy matronaematronae did not prepare meals; that was did not prepare meals; that was the job of their numerous household the job of their numerous household slaves, so it did not matter if the room was slaves, so it did not matter if the room was hot and smoky. Baking was done in ovens, hot and smoky. Baking was done in ovens, whose tops were utilized to keep dishes whose tops were utilized to keep dishes warm.warm.

CulinaCulina

CubiculumCubiculum

The The cubiculumcubiculum was the bedroom of the Roman house. was the bedroom of the Roman house. Those bedrooms situated around the Those bedrooms situated around the atriumatrium tended to be tended to be smaller than those round thesmaller than those round the peristyliumperistylium. To the Romans . To the Romans these rooms were apparently of less importance than the these rooms were apparently of less importance than the other rooms of the house. Sometimes in front of the other rooms of the house. Sometimes in front of the bedroom there was a small antechamber, the bedroom there was a small antechamber, the procoetonprocoeton, , where a personal servant would sleep. where a personal servant would sleep.

The frescoThe fresco

Domestic interiors were claustrophobic - windowless and dark - so the Romans used painted decoration to visually open up and lighten their living spaces. The fresco is a painting realized on a surface covered with a thin and soft layer of plaster, in which lime is applied and when the last layer is still humid, one works on her, therefrom his name. Unfortunately, the Roman painting has suffered irreparable hurts in most cases and only Pompeii constitutes an exception.

MosaicsMosaics

 Mosaic is the art of creating a pattern or picture with small pieces of colored glass, stone or other material, known as tessellae. The Romans were especially fond of using this art for flooring.

Furnitures

Though mosaics could be spectacular, furniture, even in the Though mosaics could be spectacular, furniture, even in the homes of the rich, tended to be basic. Stools were common homes of the rich, tended to be basic. Stools were common as opposed to chairs and reclining couches were used. Beds as opposed to chairs and reclining couches were used. Beds were simple affairs with 'springs' being provided by leather were simple affairs with 'springs' being provided by leather straps that criss-crossed a bed frame.  straps that criss-crossed a bed frame.  Besides the beds to Besides the beds to sleep, other furniture existed, as tables, seats with arms sleep, other furniture existed, as tables, seats with arms and without arms, with back or without it. The furniture was and without arms, with back or without it. The furniture was completed with cupboards and safes, the lights or completed with cupboards and safes, the lights or chandeliers that they were hanging from the walls or were chandeliers that they were hanging from the walls or were put on a tripod. Also there could be stoves or braziers. put on a tripod. Also there could be stoves or braziers.

TabernaeThe taberna could be a room in the Roman house which surrounded the atrium, but which had its own entrance from the outside and didn't lead into the interior of the house. These little rooms hence could be used as shops. Usually there was a brick counter to display goods by the entrance. Inside there usually one or more back rooms. There normally was a floor added, cutting the tall room in half to create two low floors, the upper floor being called the pergula. These cramped flats housed the very poor, perhaps a poor client family loyal to the family who inhabited the house.

Insula

An insulae, was where the “poor people” resided. It had three or more floors that had little rooms in them where a whole family lived, a tenement block. The rooms got light only by a little window that did not contain any glass. These popular houses lacked current water. Collapses and fires occurred often in these homes.

 

Insulae

Villa

In their properties in the country, Romans had usually two types of buildings that had got different epithet according to the principal use which they were destined for:

The villa rustica, devoted fundamentally to the agricultural works

The villa urbana, devoted principally to the rest of the owners of the property.

Villa rustica

The villa rustica was devoted fundamentally to the agricultural works and therefore it had characteristics and particular buildings.

Nevertheless, often it had a building reserved to the owner if he wanted to spend some time in the field. Though it wasn´t usually so luxurious as the urban villa, it had got many similarities and its more typical parts.

But it had got also other typical elements like the house of the vilicus or manager of the farm, houses for the slaves (and even a prison for the rebels or ergastulum), different buildings for the cattle and the tools, barns, hay lofts, presses, watering places for farm animals...

Villa rustica

Villa urbana

The urban or pseudourban villa was the lodging of the owners of the estate when they visited it.

It was built in a place where the owner could enjoy himself widely the sight of the field or the sea. Normally it had got all the comforts of the city’s houses, included the heating in winter.

Villa urbana

The most important examples of Roman houses

in Aragon

Villa Fortunatus in Fraga

Peristylum Pool in the peristylum

Villa Fortunatus in Fraga

Mosaic of the tablinumGeometric mosaic

Agricultural calendar

Villa in Chiprana

Thermae peristylum

Villa the Malena in Azuara

Wedding of Cadmus and Harmonia ( mosaic)

A room of the villa

Villa The Caridad in Caminreal

Houses in Bilbilis

Lararium

Lepida Celsa

Mosaic in Dolphins’ house

Caesaraugusta

Mosaic of Orpheus’ house

Reconstruction of the triclinium of the Roman house discovered in Añón street, Zaragoza. Zaragoza Museum

Caesaraugusta

Musas’ painting in Zaragoza Museum

Factum a Mercedes Ortiz

Ortiz