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

88 spaces), implying a correspondingly broad economic spectrum of households. 29 In order to
focus more closely on physical (and socio-economic) differences within the spectrum, I will
subdivide the category. The three subdivisions are defined primarily on the basis of their ground
area, but also upon the number of spaces in the house, the number of nodes, the number of
connectors that link nodes and link the ground floor to subterranean levels or upper floors, and
the extent of the architectural development of their plans. They are labeled, from smallest and
least developed to largest and most developed, as: casa piccola, casa media and casa grande (Table
3.2, Figs. 2.2, 3.1).
Casa piccola
In the casa piccola, the majority of rooms, as well as the largest, are centered around the
atrium (the primary node of the house). 30 Any secondary node is usually a garden or court,
generally too small to serve as a focus for reception rooms. 31 All have clear evidence for
staircases to an upper floor. 32 The nine small houses average 198.2 m 2 and 12.9 spaces (range
88.3-274.9 m 2 , 10-16 spaces), with estimated populations of 4-10 persons.
Casa media
The casa media is about twice as large on average as the casa piccola (mean 426.8 m 2 , 20
spaces, range 259.1-614.0 m 2 , 12-26 spaces), with an estimated population of 5-15 persons. All
eighteen examples have a sizable node behind their atrium. This node takes most often the form
of a garden colonnaded or pilastered on one to three sides; only two houses have a full peristyle
garden. Almost all have evidence for some rooms on an upper floor. 33 The larger garden area is
important because the largest and best decorated reception rooms are consequently oriented
towards the garden rather than towards the atrium.
Casa grande
The casa grande dominates its insula due to sheer size and a complex layout. The five
examples in this group average 1476.4 m 2 and 48.8 spaces, 2-3 times as large as the casa media
group (range 709.3-2502.8 m 2 , 26-88 spaces); estimated populations are 15-45 persons. All have
29 Wallace-Hadrill 1994, 95: "...in a society in which production was based on the household, there must
have been a...correlation between wealth and size of household." and p. 102: "The essential point about
Pompeian housing is that it implies an expectation that households will vary enormously in size."
30 The piccola casa subdivision includes: I.4.1-3, I.4.9, I.4.22, I.7.2-3, I.8.14, I.8.18, I.9.8, I.10.2-3, I.10.18.
31 I.4.1-3, I.7.2-3 and I.8.14 have garden courts. Only I.4.1-3 is formalized with columns and engaged
columns. I.4.9, I.4.22, I.9.8, I.10.2-3, I.10.18 have very small irregularly-shaped courts, akin to light wells, and
I.8.18 has no secondary open space at all.
32 The exception is I.9.8, which has evidence for an upper floor, but no trace of a stairway.
33 I.8.1-3 and I.10.10-11 have full peristyle gardens. I.9.13-14 has no upper floor.
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