What is the meaning of domus?

: a dwelling of ancient Roman or medieval times.

What is a peristyle in a Roman house?

In Hellenistic Greek and Roman architecture, a peristyle (/ˈpɛrɪstaɪl/; from Greek περίστυλον) is a continuous porch formed by a row of columns surrounding the perimeter of building or a courtyard.

What is an ancient Roman house called?

Most people in the cities of Ancient Rome lived in apartments called insulae. The wealthy lived in single family homes called domus of various sizes depending on how rich they were.

What is domus in architecture?

The house type referred to as the domus (Latin for “house”) is taken to mean a structure designed for either a nuclear or extended family and located in a city or town. The domus as a general architectural type is long-lived in the Roman world, although some development of the architectural form does occur.

What is the difference between a villa and a domus?

Unlike insulae, domus were supplied with water through lead pipes. Villas were larger than domus as countryside offered more space for building residence compared to overly populated cities like Rome, where there was always a dearth of available space. A villa normally had three parts.

What was a peristyle house and what were its characteristics?

Essentially it’s a four-sided columned porch that surrounds an inner courtyard or garden. The middle courtyard, which is open to the sky, might have a grassy area or more elaborate plantings, depending on the kind of structure and wealth of its inhabitants.

What rooms are in a domus?

The peristyle of the domus, typified by that of the House of the Vettii at Pompeii, contained the private living quarters of the family; clustered around its colonnaded court were the oecus (reception room), cubiculai (bedrooms), alae (recesses for private talk), and tricliniai (dining rooms), with different exposures …

Did Roman domus have windows?

The Roman domus was much more than a place of dwelling for a Roman familia. It also served as a place of business and a religious center for worship. Similarly, there were rarely outside-facing windows for this reason, but most domus did have two front rooms open to the street.

Why was a domus a safe place to live in?

The domus included multiple rooms, indoor courtyards, gardens and beautifully painted walls that were elaborately laid out. To protect the family from intruders, it would not face the streets, only its entrance providing more room for living spaces and gardens behind.

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