Villas of Ancient Rome - IBAM

Initially, in ancient Rome, there was
a small domestic garden called a
“hortus”, confined in a narrow
space at the back of the house. Then
came the horti, the plural form indicating
a greatly extended garden in which
the house was only a part of an elaborate,
organic complex consisting
of different elements, that
we refer to as a “villa”. Owing
to their location outside the old city
walls, villas were formally considered
suburban residences even though they
were used as town houses or rather as
dwellings on the outskirts of the city.
They became proper urban residences
at the end of the 3 rd century AD, when
the emperor Aurelian included them in
the circuit of the new city walls. The
villas were obviously luxurious residences
in which to retreat from the
concerns of hectic city life and to sleep
soundly far from nocturnal noises.
They were the ideal place to spend
leisure time alternating rest and recreation
with intellectual activities, to
receive friends and cultivate high ranking
social connections and to deal with
business and political matters in a
more relaxed environment.
INTRODUCTION
The favoured locations were those that
met various requirements: proximity
to the “walled” city, availability of
ample space, pleasant surroundings
and panoramic views, a supply of
water, possibly spring water, etc. The
choice initially fell on the high grounds
and slopes of hills, such as those of the
Quirinal facing the Campus Martius,
the Campus Martius itself, the right
bank of the Tiber and the heights of the
Janiculum. The Pincio was soon
favoured as well, and became known
INTRODUCTION
The main
suburban Villas
VILLAS
OF ANCIENT
3
ROME