1. Evolution of the Column house
Based on the literature and plans we assume that the Column house was developed in different phases, starting from a small house on the left side, named House of the four pillars, spreading over the garden on the upper side and in the end the right side with the atrium and surrounded by the rooms, which can be identified very clear as public rooms of the house. The both sides of the Column house, separated by the Vestibulum/ entrance room, show very differently typology so the existing conditions has been taken into account in the phase of spreading the house. It might be that some of the walls of the first house have been extended and connected with the second. Maybe it had something to do with the property of the owner and he constructed his home by his ability or by extending his business as the small left part becomes more business oriented.
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| A: house of the four pillars, B: hortus, C: house of the columnas
2. Functions in the Column house
We wrote last time about most of the functions, but we are changing some of them now based on the new information. There are a lot of small rooms, so we have only our assumption based on the literature works. The main interest lays in the functional aspects of the main domus- the House of Columns and taking in the account the House of the four pillars only to see how far they correspond.
Plan of the house
We found out that there was a double entrance with a large and small door entering the Vestibulum(1), which measured 15x4 m. It was visible from the street and had the function of exchanging or Sportuale between the patron and client every morning. It showed the status and power so it must have been very richly decorated. Unfortunately very little is known about the decoration of the house. Columns created a monumental impression with their Corinthian capitals and acanthus leaves. Also known as a waiting room and described as “ place full of persons- empty of friends”. We can say for sure that this part of the Column house was in the terraced topographic form- when you enter you enter the level under the street.
Further we come to the Atrium and Peristyle(2) with total surface of 90m2. It was the open center of the house and the place of the air and light. It was the central heart of the building for the short walks and talks, Atrium as a courtyard and Peristyle with columns surrounding the courtyard. In many of the houses columns are build in the Corinthian style, made of the limestone and were possibly decorated with yellow sandstone and stucco technique.Some reviews show that in African- Romano houses Atrium was roofed space with central opening- like Impluvatium with the roof designed to assemble water in the middle. In the Column house we have circle Atrium and surrounding Peristyle with 14 columns with Corinthian capitals. It is the place where people had their first impression of the house after Vestibulum and looked around so it must have been decorated elegant with luxury vegetation and figures scenes on the specific viewpoint.
On the south side we kept the Triclinium (3) as the dining room and the most important room for the guest of cenatio/ cena, the biggest and richest meal eaten in the Roman empire. It was also richly decorated but again we do not have any information about the decoration. Also the floor mosaic must have been in the connection of the main interest/ activity of the house owner. The technique of the mosaic was Opus Sectile, where materials were cut and laid into the walls and floors, making a pattern or picture. We changed our assumption of the rooms nearby- number (4) we think should be Tablinum/ office of the landlord and number (5) smaller Triclinium. It makes sense, because last time we were writing about the information of the smaller, second Triclinium which is accessible from the bigger Triclinium and we added the Tablinum, which is also logic- landlord was surely inviting his guests into his office after the dinner. It is also more closer to the entrance where we find the Fauces/ Tabernae/ shops (6) symmetrical on the left and right side of the Vestibulum.
1:Vestibulum | 2:Atrium and Peristyle | 3:Triclinium | 4:Tablinum | 5:Triclinium | 6:Fauces, Tabernae | 7:Portero | 8:Cocina | 9:Cubiculum | 10:Assembly room | 11:Atrium | 12:Exedra
On the west side of atrium we changed functions from the assembly rooms to two new functions- number (7) by the main entrance should be some kind of a Portero, room where the workers of the landlord expected the guests or just some kind of a guarding place. Up the Portero we find the Cocina (8), which has two entrances on the north and south side- ability to fluently bring the food in both directions. On the east side we also changed from assembly rooms to Cubiculum/ private rooms(9) which are all kind of the same size, smallest and oriented into atrium.
To the other unite in the northern part of the house we enter through the Assembly room (10), which we previously located on the both sides of the Atrium and Peristyle. It lays symmetrically over the small Atrium (11), which is perfectly situated and a bit hidden for more private talks and accommodation for the various recreational and social activities. Assembly rooms in a domus should be multi-functional and they were for sure decorated very richly.
In the northern part we assume there should be again a small Triclinium (3) and Tablinum (4) , since it might be a more private part of the landlord. On the both sides we find new rooms called Exedra/ celebrity hall (12). These were a bit larger, elegant rooms located off the garden, with a formal functions and lavish dinner events. Exedra on the left side opens to Huerto, which we also extended from the last time over much bigger area. It is an interior garden and might had vegetable produce with lover level and covered by packed earth.
Plan for the house privacy
3. Levels and heights of the Column house
Plan of the roof
Plan of the levels
Plan of the texture
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