The City Of The House - 1479 Words

compluvium, which was positioned directly above the impluvium, a basin area to collect rain water. The pater familias would be most likely to stand or be seated in the atrium in line with the fauces. The visitors gaze was then cleverly directed to the owner of the house by a sequence of architecturally framed planes against a backdrop of an alluring glimpse of the garden beyond. From this dominant position, the master of the house appeared to control the boundaries of his home. (Figure 13) Most of the activity took place in the atrium. Ancestral portrait masks and household gods were familiar sights. There was often a loom for spinning and weaving to show guests that the matron of the home worked with wool and was therefore of exemplary†¦show more content†¦This is significant for the discussion of ritual to note the difference in suburban villa house structure verses the previously stated traditional Roman house. The Roman Villa has long been epitomized as an elegant and luxurious refuge, and a haven removed from the commotion of everyday life. Even in antiquity the time spent at villas were synonymous with pleasure, wealth, and leisure. As the letters of Cicero and Pliny expressively demonstrate, the aim of every wealthy noble was to have several villas, or country residences, preferably with immaculate views. This acceptance of more opulent style of life has been regarded as an acculturation effect resulting from Rome’s expanded rule into the weste rn and eastern Mediterranean, and their direct contact with the Hellenistic world. Roman aristocrats began to desire lavish surroundings to match their sense of power and dominance. This new way of life called for opening the house to the landscape and including gardens within the inhabited space. The Roman Villa’s clever orientation of porticos, dining rooms, and bedrooms to take advantage of particular vistas shows that Roman aristocrats and their architects consciously included nature and the landscape in their designs to enhance them and add a new dimension to the inhabitant’s enjoyment. As one can see within each Roman dwelling,