KITCHENS AND DINING ROOMS AT POMPEII ... - Get a Free Blog

dining rooms of a villa according to season and the direction of the sun: winter (oriented west),
and summer (oriented south-east):
The villa urbana should be in turn divided into winter apartments and summer
apartments, in such a way that the winter bedrooms may face the sunrise at the
winter solstice, and the winter dining rooms may face the sunset at the equinox.
The summer bedrooms, on the other hand, should look towards the midday sun
at the time of the equinox but the dining rooms of that season should look
towards the rising sun of winter. 230
Vitruvius elaborates on why light and temperature are linked to the three seasonal types of
dining rooms which can be present in a house. His advice for seasonal orientations varies from
Columella's, but it makes somewhat more sense: winter (oriented southwest), spring-autumn
(oriented east), and summer (oriented north). 231
Now we will explain by what properties the variety of constructions ought to
look out suitably upon the quarters of the sky according to their purpose. Winter
triclinia and baths should look towards the winter setting sun, because there is
need of using the evening light; besides which, the facing setting sun still
possesses brilliance, and throwing back heat it renders this quarter warmer in the
evening-time...
Spring and autumnal triclinia ought to face towards the east; for placed in front
of the rays, the facing force of the sun progressing westward renders these rooms
temperate at the time when the need for their use is customary. Summer triclinia
ought to face towards the north because that quarter, unlike the others that are
rendered sweltering at the solstice due to the heat, is always cool and remains
healthy and enjoyable in its use, because it is turned away from the course of the
sun. 232
230 Col. 1.6.1-2: Urbana rursus in hibernacula et aestiua sic digeratur, ut spectent hiemalis temporis cubicula
brumalem orientem, cenationes aequinoctialem occidentem. rursus aestiua cubicula spectent meridiem aequinoctialem,
sed cenationes eiusdem temporis prospectent hibernum orientem (Loeb text and translation).
231 In the northern hemisphere, a winter dining room would gather much more light and heat by facing
south-west than by facing west (as Columella suggests). Columella's south-east orientation for a summer
dining room would heat up the room for most of the morning, although the room would have time to cool
before the cena in the late afternoon. A summer dining room with northerly aspect would remain cool
throughout the day.
232 Vitr. 6.4: Nunc explicabimus, quibus proprietatibus genera aedificorum ad usum et caeli regiones apte debeant
exspectare. Hiberna triclinia et balnearia uti occidentem hibernum spectent, ideo quod vespertino lumine opus est uti,
praeterea quod etiam sol occidens adversus habens splendorem, calorem remittens efficit vespertino tempore regionem
tepidiorem...
Triclinia verna et autumnalia ad orientem; tum enim praetenta luminibus adversus solis impetus progrediens ad
occidentem efficit ea termperata ad id tempus, quo opus solitum est uti. Aestiva ad septentrionem, quod ea regio, non
ut reliquae per solstitium propter clorem efficiuntur aestuosae, ea quod est aversa a solis cursu, semper refrigerata et
salubritatem et voluptatem in usu praestat. (Loeb text, author's translation). Vitr. 6.7.3 discusses seasonal
dining rooms in Greek houses.
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