Roman Villa Floor Plans (with Drawings and Photos)

When one thinks of Roman villas, one immediately imagines soaring white columns, cascading fountains, and lush courtyards. Sculptures dotting manicured gardens and servants running around fulfilling their lord and lady’s every whim. What most people don’t know is that the “roman villa” was a dwelling for ancient Romans engaged in agricultural activity.

The roman villa typically consisted of the Vestibulum, Ostium, Atrium, Tablinum, Peristylium, Culina, and Cubiculum. Many of these villas were two stories tall with rooms similarly used in modern houses we see today. The roman villa was also called a “domus” consisting of front and rear living areas connected by a small courtyard.

Passing through the ostium and the vestibulum, one finds oneself in the atrium, an important feature in any roman villa. The atrium serves not only as the central point for arriving guests, but it also showcases the rooms on all sides. The atrium is also where you see the important impluvium; a shallow sunken pool to catch rainwater from the roof.

The impluvium usually features marble and sits roughly 30 cm below the center of the atrium. This shallow pool then collects rainwater gathered from a square, sloped opening on the roof called the compluvium. This water empties into a subfloor cistern and used throughout the house.

Aside from housing the essential compluvium and impluvium, the atrium also served as the public face of the roman home. Most atriums are beautifully decorated, showcasing the family’s wealth and prestige. This room served as the center of the family’s social and political dealings with friends and foe alike.

The tablinum is a room or small alcove used by the family to store important documents or personal records. In wealthy families, it was the pater families’ office to convene with business and political associates. This room also served as an exhibition space for lavish wall paintings and the busts of famous ancestors.

The tablinum was always directly behind the atrium, granting a commanding view of the atrium and landscaped gardens. It also opened on both sides but had folding doors or panels that you could easily shut for privacy.

Rather than outside lawns, the ancient Romans created their green space within the walls of their villa. The peristylium is the Roman villa’s open courtyard replete with lush gardens, marble benches, impressive statuary, and spaced columns. These columns were essential in supporting the shaded roofed portico whose walls were decorated with beautiful paintings.

The presence of a shrine within a peristylium was not uncommon in ancient Roman villas.

In such estates where space was available, the peristylium also housed the statues of many gods the family worshipped.

Unlike the modern kitchen, the roman culina was out of view and relegated to the very back of the villa. Usually small, dark, and poorly ventilated, this area was frequented only by the servants and maids. The matron of the house never cooked, hence, it did not matter that this room was always hot and uncomfortable.

There was constant baking going on in the culina ovens. Hot embers from the oven were also used under metal braziers that formed a stove-top of some sort. The kitchen staff utilized these tops not so much for cooking, but to keep dishes warm.

The lararium, or altar, was a sacred place in the home where people made offerings and prayers to the gods. In large Roman villas, one may find the lararium in the atrium right by the reception area. But in a smaller home with no atrium, the lararium was near the hearth or by the kitchen.

It was not unusual to find more than one lararium in a roman home, especially in the more luxurious villas. Made from marble or plain wood slats, these shrines were placed both indoors and outdoors, some even in the bedrooms. The essential factor was to have a permanent place of worship that you didn’t have to put away when unused.

In a few wealthy villas, the bibliotheca was a revered space housing occupants dedicated to education. Collections of books, or scrolls in the olden days, were large and numerous.

Therefore, people placed them in cabinets around the room. Some of these home libraries were open and available for public use.

Only the grander, more opulent villas had space for a bibliotheca. Statues of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, were placed inside the room along with busts of distinguished men of letters. As with home libraries today, this room and its contents were more for show than for actual reading.

Related Questions

Are there still roman villas standing today?

You can still find remnants of ancient roman villas today in parts of Europe where the Romans took up residence. Most villas are in North Italy, the bay of Naples, and outside Pompeii.  But one may also find some ruins in Britain, specifically London, which was a Roman settlement in ancient times.  

How important is Roman architecture in modern times?

Columns, domes, and arches (invented in ancient Roman times) are architectural structures that people still widely use in today’s modern world.  Roman architecture greatly influenced many official US government buildings.A specific example of the influence of Roman architecture in today’s world is the famous and impressive Colosseum. The Colosseum, with its seating levels and oval shape, is the precursor for today’s sports arenas and stadiums. Centuries have passed since its construction, yet the Colosseum still dictates the look of stadiums all over the world.

Is the roman villa a popular style in today’s homes?

Architects today still refer to the look of roman villas, especially when designing an expansive home for a wealthy client.  The roman style of architecture connotes luxury, wealth, and status, unmatched by any other. In today’s mansions, the application of columns and arches still inspires awe and wonder.