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