House of the Viridarium with Niches (Maison du viridarium à niches)

Contributor: Xue Xia

Permalink: https://roman-gardens.github.io/test-a/id/c5a0311387/

Published: 2021-04-21

Modified: 2025-09-16

Dates

4th century CE

Garden Description

The house was located in the W neighborhood of the ancient city of Pupput and in present day lies in the precinct of a hotel, the construction of which badly damaged the house (Plan view, Fig.1).

The house has had three phases. During the second phase the garden peristyle (V) was bounded by a low wall that curved to make eight to nine semi circular niches (A, C, D, E, F, G, H, I) facing the galleries of the peristyle. The niches were paved with mosaics some of which figure birds among cut branches (D) and marine scenes (A, I). The second phase of the house is dated from the second half of the IV century.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan of the House of the Viridarium with Niches
Credit: (Ch. Peirce, from Ben Abed Ben Khader, A., 1994, Pl. CLXXI)

Images

Fig. 2: Photograph of the garden
Credit: (from Ben Abed Ben Khader, 2006, fig. 9, p. 521)

Bibliography

Ben Abed Ben Khader, A., "Mosaïques de la maison du viridarium à niches à Pupput (Tunisie)", in CMGR IV, 1994, pp.265-271, Pl. CLXXI. (worldcat)
Ben Abed Ben Khader, A., "Les maisons de Pupput (Tunisie)", in Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, 150ᵉ année, N. 1, 2006. pp. 518-522, fig. 8, p. 519, fig. 9, p. 521. (worldcat)
Bullo, S., Ghedini, F., Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, pp. 197-198. (worldcat)