Roman Villas and Apartments

Latin I House Unit

Hadrian’s Villa•Built between 118 and 134 AD

What was Hadrian’s Villa?

• Imperial palace covering 300 acres• Included theatres, bathhouses, libraries,

houses for guests, gardens, statues, pools• Theatre:

http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/hadrian_s_villa/maritime_theater.htm

Bathhouse

Egyptian influence

• Hadrian had Egyptian statues brought in and modeled much of his architecture after Alexandria

Egyptian statues

Canal (130 yds long!)

Decorations

• Besides statues and ponds, the villa was also elaborately decorated with frescoes

• Do you remember what a fresco is???

Fresco

Underground Tunnels

• Hadrian also recreated a tunnel system of Hades, which connected various parts of the villa

• See why it took so long to build?

Architecture

What’s left of Hadrian’s Villa?

• Everything you see in the pictures and more!• However, it was plundered for the marble and

other valuable materials throughout the 6th-8th centuries

• Archeologists still believe there are more artifacts they have not yet uncovered!

Roman Apartments

• Very common during Hadrian’s reign• Known as “Insulae” which means….• Usually for the lower classes• Entire families would share one room• Very unsafe! – Made of wood– Serious risk of fire or collapse

What were the conditions like?

• Usually did not have running water, toilets, or heat, especially in upper floors– Many threw waste out the windows (no glass)

onto the streets below• Cooking was discouraged in apartments due

to the risk of fire– Many cooked anyway, at the risk of fire

Were apartments popular?

• By the end of the 4th century, apartments outnumbered houses 25 to 1

• Because of the large population, restrictions were put on apartments– Height restrictions– Fire restrictions