Pompeii Residential Architecture
Most of the houses in Pompeii are single story but some late buildings were two stories (esp. AD62-79). On the lower level it might be open to the street - may be a shop. On the top level there was a panoramic picture windows - vistas were very important - had a very greek influence The earliest residential building were from the Samnite period - some were substantial houses
Domas italica - ideal roman house plan - as designated by Vitruvius. The house was a place to conduct business and entertain as well as a private dwelling and access to the private parts of the houses could be strictly controlled using wooden screen, curtains, blinds etcetera. However, this evidence would have been destroyed by the volcano. The surge in the interest in building and decorataing luxurious houses coincided with the profits of the empire.
Fauces Throat of the house the entrance Vestibulum - eaves over the door. There are two Celli off the Fauces. They could be shops (terverni), leased out or sleeping quarters. These leads to the Atrium (or meeting room). We think of houses as escapes from the real world. In Roman times it would be a place to do business - a very public part of the house. The Implovium Pool is in the center of the atrium Compluvium where rain water was caught. The Cubiculum are the bedrooms of the house - very small dark places to sleep
The wings or Alli of the house - The place where they kept the wooden shrines of the ancestors - with wooden doors with pictures and other mementoes of the dead relatives. Include a look-a-like mask which a family member wold put on on days where they would remember them
Tablinum - started a master bedroom - but became a place where archives are kept - almost a passageway. Later became office or reception room. The dining room the Triclinium which is also off the atrium. The garden the Hortus which was open to the sky. The geometrical. Very few windows. This is the case at the beginning but this changes over time.
Mosaics
The fashion came from the Greeks and can be found in the largest Atrium houses. The earliest designs had simple geometric patterns but soon house owners were adding their own emblema. A fine example can be found at the House of Menander which has a picture of pygmies on the Nile. The finest examples can be found at the House of the Faun
The House of the Surgeon and House of Salust
Named after all the surgeon implements that were found. It was built in the 3rd C BC and conforms to the ideal to the Domas Italica. One cell is closed and one open to the street for a shop. Atrium etc
In the House of Salust was also originally built in the 3rd C BC. It was renovated when the Samnites were kicked out. It has a cell for one of the fast food stands
2nd C they start to resemble Greek architecture - Hellenised Domas - Greek elements. Vestibulum vestibule. The cells are not opened up. The atrium bedroom wings and etc . The core is very much the same. But under the influence of Greek the place Greek columns and a garden which is more properly called peristyle. Then additional bedroom looking over the garden plus two additional dining rooms. Columns added to the front to show that this is a very cultured individual. But still stark and plain with few windows.
The tablinum was painted in First Style Roman Wall Painting Known as Masonry Style or Incrustation style - Trying to create an illusion of a marble wall. The wall is divided in to zones. At the bottom is the plinth above that the Socle. Orthostats are the large blocks. Then Iosodomic courses and string course and projecting cornice. It is a relief wall built up with stucco and then painted in many colors. The First Style decoration was copied from the Greeks
The House of the Vettii
Is an example of an Hellenized Domas. The tablinum is gone and replaced by a passageway but now there is a peristyle. There is more light coning on to the house
http://students.villanova.edu/classicssocietyclub/House_of_the_Vettii_-_peristyle_and_garden.JPG
House of the Silver Wedding
Another Hellenized Domas. Atrium has four columns in it. A banqueting hall. large opening to the peristyle garden. Oecus (principal hall) most important room in the house. They tried to stucco the columns to make them more Greek (tetra style means four columns. Used Porphyry like painted wall
House of the Faun
Very large - twice the size if the house of the Vettii and originally built in the 2nd C BC. Follows the hellenized domas type. Two peristyle courts. One small and one very large room. Has a famous mosaic of the Alexander the Great. It has 1 million tessellations. Copy of the great painting - See Naples museum. Other fine mosaics are also present - Bacchus riding a lion, Cat and quail and duck and fish. Entrance way has a pilaster with the a Corinthian capital. Painted with stone style - First Style Wall Painting painting. Implovium has a dancing faun statue. The owners are unknown but possibly Sulla but also maybe an old Oscan family from Campania
A restored version would look very bright and colorful with first style wall painting. It has two atria tetra style. Tufa stone made to look Greek
The House of Minander
Hellenized Domas 2c BC. House is more irregular and axiality is lost as this is an example where the house next to Minander was annexed. Bright Orange walls
House of Panza
Many celli shops open on the streets. The pool in this house was more likely for fish to be sold. Garden was used to grow garden produce. Lots of flute columns that are plain art the bottom
House of Marcus Aurelius tiba tenas
Took up an entire city block. The house does not take up most of the space. Instead most of the space is taken up with the garden. Much more emphasis in the garden and dining rooms A second story was added to this building. The windows open out on to the compluvium. Greek Myths paintings incorporated in the grotto type.
House of the Chaste Lovers
One of the latest houses to be excavated and still being so. It is connected to a bakery. The rooms depict banqueting couples and it is possible that this was a restaurant. It has a peristyle garden and has Fourth Style Wall Painting still missing panels
Villa of the Mysteries
As the city got more crowded the rich moved out to the periphery of the city into villa such as the Villa of the Mysteries. This villa departs from the normal design. In the Roman villa you walk in to the peristyle garden first
Phase two of the villa - different order has a great podium like the has a barrel vaulted hidden passageway under the podiums. Makes it grander and muffle the sounds off the street. We are beginning to see that the exteriors are getting less severe - Elements project out of the rectangle of the villa plan and are curved. Like a giant bay window, with view that can be see through the window and views of the sea. Blind arcades supporting the podium. No more slit windows.
The preeminent example of the Second Style painting is between two cubicula. (60BC-50BC) Done entirely in paint. Painted Columns project out of the wall. The first style wall is dropped down. Above it is a shrine with a blue sky vista. There is nothing like Second Style Painting anywhere else other than Rome
House of the Large Fountain
Has large fountain with mosaics
House of the Samnite
This is in Herculaneum. Painted in First Style
House of the Griffins
This is in Rome. It is painted in First Style (Room 1) but also Second Style in Room 2 . The Plinth is painted like a low wall. Above that painted columns sitting on a plinth. It gives a sense of depth with a First Style painting behind.
Villa of Poppaea
Third Style Wall Painting dispenses with perspectives. Images seem to float rather than occupy a space. Where there is a vista or view painted on the wall it is meant to be seen as a picture painted on the wall rather than a opening out on the world. The pictures have black frames and dispense with elaborate painted projected columns. Third Style seeks to retain the integrity of the wall rather than create an illusion. Red colors are still prevalent and the socle is still present. It is not the same as First Style as it is not a relief or an illusion of marble walls etc
