Roman Houses :: essays research papers

Roman HousesRoman houses evolved from the thatched- chapiter huts of the original roman civilisation to the great villas of the late empire. Roman houses were not only built in Italy. in that location were Roman houses built in Greece, Africa, and Britain.Roman houses were one narration high, the villas of the wealthy were sometimes two. Walls were built of cement covered in decorate or sun-dried bricks which were commonly used until the beginning of the first degree Celsius B.C. Although the concrete walls were weatherproof, they were usually faced with stone or burned bricks. The walls could as well be covered with fine white marble stucco to get it a brilliant finish. Some windows were provided with shutters, which slid in a framework on the outer wall. The ceilings were vaulted and painted in brilliant colors. The roofs varied, with some flatbed and some sloped. The earliest roof was a thatch of straw, later replaced by shingles and finally tiles. Floors were covered wit h marble tiles. Smaller houses floors were covered thick with small pieces of stone, brick, or pottery and pounded down. In two story houses the speed floor was made of wood, sometimes with a layer of concrete on top. Doors were richly paneled wood carved, or plated with bronze. Usually curtains were preferred instead. sometimes larger houses had an open court in front of the door, called a vesibulum, with sidewalk from the door to the street.Roman villas were divided into public and private spaces. The private spaces were bed populate, the kitchen, and consideration quarters. The masters office or study called the tablinum was also located in the private section. A large chest was kept there chain to the floor containing money and valuables. The main room in the house was the atrium, a windowless room with a space in the ceiling through which come down fell into. The rain fell into a hollow space called the impluvian. There were four types of atrium Tuscan (in which the roof w as supported by two pairs of beams that pass each other at right angles, testrastylon (in which four pillars supported the roof beams at the corners of the opening in the ceiling) displuviatum (in which the roof sloped down to the walls) and the testudinatum. subsequently the atrium was reduced to being a reception room. For lighting public rooms there were tall stands from which numerous lamps could be hung.