NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Roman villa

A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman Empire. The Empire contained many kinds of villas. Some were pleasure houses such as those like Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli, that were sited in the cool hills within easy reach of Rome or on picturesque sites overlooking the Bay of Naples. Some villas were more like the country houses of Early Modern England, France or Poland, the visible seat of power of a local magnate, such as the famous palace rediscovered at Fishbourne in Sussex. Suburban villas on the edge of cities were also known, such as the Middle and Late Republican villas that encroached on the Campus Martius, at that time on the edge of Rome, and which can be also seen outside the city walls of Pompeii. These early suburban villas, such as the one at Rome's Auditorium site[1] or at Grottarossa, demonstrate the antiquity and heritage of the villa suburbana in Central Italy. It is possible that these early, suburban villas were also in fact the seats of power (maybe even palaces) of regional strongmen or heads of important families (gentes). A third type of villa provided the organizational center of the large holdings called latifundia, that produced and exported agricultural produce; such villas might be lacking in luxuries. By the 4th century, villa could simply connote an agricultural holding: Jerome translated the Gospel of Mark (xiv, 32) chorion, describing the olive grove of Gethsemane, with villa, without an inference that there were any dwellings there at all (Catholic Encyclopedia "Gethsemane"). The Albertian Villa Medici in Fiesole: terraced grounds on a sloping site. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... The villas recreation of Canopus, a resort near Alexandria, as seen from the temple of Serapis Theatrical masks of Tragedy and Comedy in refined mosaic, from the villa (Capitoline Museum, Rome) The Villa of the Emperor Hadrian at Tivoli, Italy, even in ruined condition is one of the most... Tivoli, the classical Tibur, is an ancient Italian town in Lazio, about 30 km from Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river, where it issues from the Sabine hills. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... Gulf of Naples is located in Southern Italy. ... Fishbourne is a village in West Sussex, situated between Chichester and Bosham. ... This article refers to the historic county in England. ... The Campus Martius, or Field of Mars, was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about 2 km² (600 acres) in extent. ... For other uses, see Pompeii (disambiguation). ... Latifundia are pieces of landed property covering tremendous areas. ... For other uses, see Jerome (disambiguation). ... The Gospel of Mark, anonymous[1] but traditionally ascribed to Mark the Evangelist, is a synoptic gospel of the New Testament. ... The Garden of Gethsemane. ...

The late Roman Republic witnessed an explosion of villa construction in Italy. In Etruria, the villa at Settefinestre has been interpreted as being one of the latifundia, or large slave-run villas, that were involved in large-scale agricultural production. Other villas in the hinterland of Rome are interpreted in light of the agrarian treatises written by the elder Cato, Columella and Varro, both of whom sought to define the suitable lifestyle of conservative Romans, at least in idealistic terms. This article refers to the state which existed from the 6th century BC to the 1st century BC. For alternate meanings, see Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... Villa Settefinistre in the comune of Orbetello, Tusany, Orbetello, Tuscany(?), is the site of a late Republican Roman slave-run villa owned by the senatorial family of the Volusii, built in the first century BCE and enlarged in the first century AD with a large The villa was fortified at... Latifundia are pieces of landed property covering tremendous areas. ... Marcus Porcius Cato (Latin: MÂ·PORCIVSÂ·MÂ·FÂ·CATO[1]) (234 BC, Tusculumâ€“149 BC) was a Roman statesman, surnamed the Censor (Censorius), Sapiens, Priscus, or the Elder (Major), to distinguish him from Cato the Younger (his great-grandson). ... Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (Gades in Hispania Baetica, 4 AD - ca. ... Marcus Terentius Varro ([[116 BC]–27 BC), also known as Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his contemporary Varro Atacinus, was a Roman scholar and writer, who the Romans came to call the most learned of all the Romans. ...

By the first century B.C., the "classic" villa had a widespread architectural form with many examples showing the use of atrium/peristyle architecture. This explosion of construction takes place especially in the years following the dictatorship of Sulla. A villa might be quite palatial, such as the imperial villas built on seaside slopes around the Bay of Naples such as at Baiae; others were preserved at Stabiae and Herculaneum by the ashfall and mudslide from the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D., which also preserved the Villa of the Papyri and its libraries. Deeper in the countryside, villas were largely self-supporting with associated farms, olive groves, and vineyards. Large villas dominated the rural economy of the Po valley, Campania, and Sicily, and were also found in Gaul. Villas specializing in the sea-going export of olive oil to Roman legions in Germany were a feature of the southern Iberian province of Hispania Baetica. Some luxurious villas have been excavated in North Africa in the provinces of Africa and Numidia, or at Fishbourne in Britannia. Gulf of Naples is located in Southern Italy. ... Baiae (Italian: Baia), in the Campania region of Italy on the Bay of Naples, today a frazione of the comune of Bacoli, was for several hundred years a fashionable and luxurious coastal resort, especially towards the end of the period of the Roman Republic. ... The city of Stabiae was at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, and therefore was one of the communities damaged by its eruption in 79 AD. Some few people got away from the initial lava, and told others of the coming erruption, but succumbed to the ash as it started to... Herculaneum (in modern Italian Ercolano) is an ancient Roman town, located in the territory of the current commune of Ercolano. ... Mount Vesuvius (Italian: Monte Vesuvio) is a volcano east of Naples, Italy, located at 40°49′N 14°26′ E. It is the only active volcano on the European mainland, although it is not currently erupting. ... The Villa of the Papyri is a private house of ancient Roman city of Herculaneum (current commune of Ercolano) owned by Julius Caesars father-in-law, Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus: its remains were first excavated in 1765 by Karl Weber. ... PO may stand for: Pareto optimality Parole Officer Per os, Latin for by mouth or orally Perfect Orange a third wave ska based in Knoxville, TN from 2002-2005 Petty Officer, a Non-Commissioned Officer Rank in many Navies Pilkington Optronics, now Thales Optronics Pilot Officer, a junior commissioned rank... For other uses, see Campania (disambiguation). ... Sicily ( in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 kmÂ² (9,926 sq. ... Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Roman province of Hispania Baetica, 120 CE In Hispania, which in Greek is called Iberia, there were three Imperial Roman provinces, Hispania Baetica in the south, Lusitania, corresponding to modern Portugal, in the west, and Hispania Tarraconensis in the north and northeast. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Numidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in North Africa that later alternated between a Roman province and a Roman client state, and is no longer in existence today. ... Fishbourne is a village in West Sussex, situated between Chichester and Bosham. ...

Certain areas within easy reach of Rome offered cool lodgings in the heat of summer. Maecenas asked what kind of house could possibly be suitable at all seasons. The emperor Hadrian had a villa at Tibur (Tivoli), in an area that was popular with Romans of rank. Hadrian's Villa (123 AD) was more like a palace. Cicero had several villas. Pliny the Younger described his villas in his letters. The Romans invented the seaside villa: a vignette in a frescoed wall at the house of Lucretius Fronto in Pompeii still shows a row of seafront pleasure houses, all with porticos along the front, some rising up in porticoed tiers to an altana at the top that would catch a breeze on the most stifling evenings (Veyne 1987 ill. p 152) Gaius or Cilnius Maecenas (70 - 8 BC) was a confidant and political advisor to Augustus Caesar, as well as an important sponsor of young poets. ... Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus (January 24, 76 â€“â€“ July 10, 138), known as Hadrian in English, was emperor of Rome from 117 A.D. to 138 A.D., as well as a Stoic and Epicurean philosopher. ... Tivoli, the classical Tibur, is an ancient Italian town in Lazio, about 30 km from Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river, where it issues from the Sabine hills. ... The villas recreation of Canopus, a resort near Alexandria, as seen from the temple of Serapis Theatrical masks of Tragedy and Comedy in refined mosaic, from the villa (Capitoline Museum, Rome) The Villa of the Emperor Hadrian at Tivoli, Italy, even in ruined condition is one of the most... Roman Emperor Hadrians villa at Tivoli was built. ... For other uses, see Cicero (disambiguation). ... Gayus Plinius Colonoscopy Caecilius Secundus (63 - ca. ...

Late Roman owners of villae had luxuries like hypocaust-heated rooms with mosaics

Late Roman owners of villae had luxuries like hypocaust-heated rooms with mosaics (La Olmeda, Spain). As the Roman Empire collapsed in the 4th and 5th centuries, the villas were more and more isolated and came to be protected by walls. Though in England the villas were abandoned, looted, and burned by Anglo-Saxon invaders in the 5th century, other areas had large working villas donated by aristocrats and territorial magnates to individual monks that often became the nucleus of famous monasteries. In this way, the villa system of late Antiquity was preserved into the early Medieval period. Saint Benedict established his influential monastery of Monte Cassino in the ruins of a villa at Subiaco that had belonged to Nero; there are fuller details at the entry for Benedict. Around 590, Saint Eligius was born in a highly-placed Gallo-Roman family at the 'villa' of Chaptelat near Limoges, in Aquitaine (now France). The abbey at Stavelot was founded ca 650 on the domain of a former villa near Liège and the abbey of Vézelay had a similar founding. As late as 698, Willibrord established an abbey at a Roman villa of Echternach, in Luxemburg near Trier, which was presented to him by Irmina, daughter of Dagobert II, king of the Franks. Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 172 KB)Hypocaust from a late Roman villa. ... Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 172 KB)Hypocaust from a late Roman villa. ... Ruins of the hypocaust under the floor of a Roman villa. ... Ruins of the hypocaust under the floor of a Roman villa. ... Monastery of St. ... This article is about Saint Benedict of Nursia, for other uses of the name Benedict see Benedict (disambiguation) Saint Benedict of Nursia (c. ... The restored Abbey. ... For other uses, see Nero (disambiguation). ... This article is about Saint Benedict of Nursia, for other uses of the name Benedict see Benedict (disambiguation) Saint Benedict of Nursia (c. ... Signature of St. ... Stavelot is a municipality located in the Belgian province of LiÃ¨ge. ... Liege or LiÃ¨ge has several meanings: A liege is the person or entity to which one has pledged allegiance. ... VÃ©zelay is a commune in the Yonne dÃ©partement in the Bourgogne rÃ©gion of France. ... Saint Willibrord (c. ... Echternach (Luxembourgish: Iechternach) is a commune with city status in the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher, in eastern Luxembourg. ... Luxembourg - a small country in west Europe Luxembourg (city) - the capital city of the country Luxembourg (district) - a district in the country Luxembourg, province of Belgium Luxemburg, Iowa - a city in the USA Luxemburg, Wisconsin - a village in the USA Luxembourg Garden, Paris, France Luxemburg Township, Minnesota - a township in... Trier (French: ; Luxembourgish TrÃ©ier) is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle River. ... Saint Adela (? - 735) and Saint Irmina (? - c. ... Dagobert II (c. ... This article is about the Frankish people and society. ...

Some of the known Roman villas are:

Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli, Italy
Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex, England
Lullingstone Roman Villa in Kent, England
Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina, Sicily, Italy
Chedworth Roman Villa in Gloucestershire

The villas recreation of Canopus, a resort near Alexandria, as seen from the temple of Serapis Theatrical masks of Tragedy and Comedy in refined mosaic, from the villa (Capitoline Museum, Rome) The Villa of the Emperor Hadrian at Tivoli, Italy, even in ruined condition is one of the most... Mosaics at Fishbourne Roman Palace Fishbourne Roman Palace, in the village of Fishbourne in West Sussex, is one of the most important archaeological sites in England. ... The enclosed interior of Lullingstone Villa Lullingstone Roman villa is situated in northwest Kent in England. ... Villa Romana del Casale is located about 5km outside the town of Piazza Armerina. ... Roman villa at Chedworth. ...

Architecture of the villa complex

For general context, see Roman architecture

, wealthy Roman Citizens in the countryside around Rome and throughout the Empire lived in villa-complexes, the accommodation for rural farms. â€¹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ...

The villa-complex consisted of three parts.

The "Villa Urbana" where the owner and his family lived. This would be similar to the wealthy-person's domus in the city and would have painted walls and artistic mosaics on the floors. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The "Villa Rustica" where the staff and slaves of the villa worked and lived. This was also the living quarters for the farms animals. There would usually be other rooms here that might be used as store rooms, a hospital and even a prison.

The third part of the villa-complex would be the storage rooms.These would be where the products of the farm were stored ready for transport to buyers. Storage rooms here would have been used for Oil, Wine, Grain, Grapes and any other produce of the villa. Other rooms in the villa might include an office, a temple for worship, several bedrooms, a dining room and a kitchen.

Villas were often plumbed with running water and many would have had under-floor central heating known as a "hypocaust". Ruins of the hypocaust under the floor of a Roman villa. ...

A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class. According to Pliny the Elder, there were two kinds of villas: the villa urbana, which was a country seat that could easily be reached from Rome (or another city) for a night or two, and the villa rustica, the farm-house estate permanently occupied by the servants who had charge generally of the estate. It would center on the villa itself, perhaps only seasonally occupied. There were a concentration of Imperial villas near the Bay of Naples, especially on the Isle of Capri, at Monte Circeo on the coast and at Antium (Anzio). Wealthy Romans escaped the summer heat in the hills round Rome, especially around Frascati (cf Hadrian's Villa). Cicero is said to have possessed no less than seven villas, the oldest of which was near Arpinum, which he inherited. Pliny the Younger had three or four, of which the example near Laurentium is the best known from his descriptions. For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see House (disambiguation). ... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19th Century portrait. ... For other uses, see Capri (disambiguation). ... Circeius Mons (mod. ... // Anzio is a city and resort on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about 33 miles south of Rome. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The villas recreation of Canopus, a resort near Alexandria, as seen from the temple of Serapis Theatrical masks of Tragedy and Comedy in refined mosaic, from the villa (Capitoline Museum, Rome) The Villa of the Emperor Hadrian at Tivoli, Italy, even in ruined condition is one of the most... For other uses, see Cicero (disambiguation). ... Gayus Plinius Colonoscopy Caecilius Secundus (63 - ca. ...

Roman writers refer with satisfaction to the self-sufficiency of their villas, where they drank their own wine and pressed their own oil, a commonly used literary topos. An ideal Roman citizen was the independent farmer tilling his own land, and the agricultural writers wanted to give their readers a chance to link themselves with their ancestors through this image of self-sufficient villas. The truth was not too far from it, either, while even the profit-oriented latifundia probably grew enough of all the basic foodstuffs to provide for their own consumption. Even the 'monoculture' farms, concentrating [[desunt multa]] In the context of classical Greek rhetoric a topos (literally a place; plural: topoi) referred to a standardised method of constructing or treating an argument. ... Latifundia are pieces of landed property covering tremendous areas. ...

Individual Roman villas

Note:for individual villas, see under their respective articles.

Bold links link to a page specifically on that villa - ordinary links link to an article on the town or village in or near which that villa is sited (which may or may not include information on that villa). ...

Encyclopedia > Roman villa

Architecture of the villa complex

Individual Roman villas

Further reading