Domus of the Sea Front (Villa du front de mer)

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

4th century CE

Garden Description

The upper level of this large house (after 330, according to stratigraphic dating) resulted from the joining of three dwellings and was built over two earlier levels, the courtyards or peristyles of which are still unknown. Like a maritime villa, the house had a long loggia, which extended and opened to the sea, towards the northeast. It was excavated first in 1911, then in 1951-52, in 1964 and more recently in 2002 (Plan view, Fig. 1, 2).

The peristyle garden of the house (ca 16.50 x 8.50 m) was enclosed on four sides by a portico supported by twenty marble columns; there was a first floor, as stairs have been found. A large oecus (B3) on the northeast side looked out on the garden. In front of this exedra was a shallow pool, framed by two columns. Behind the pool was a cistern opening covered with a stone slab; on the right and left, two square planters were added at a later period. In that part of the garden, the mosaic pavements of the lower level extended under the garden. On the opposite side, a beautiful semi-circular basin, framed by two fluted columns (now broken), and faced inside with colored marbles, was visible from the entrance of the house (Fig. 2). Between the large door and this basin, the portico was paved with white marble slabs. The open space certainly was a garden (B16) as it was planted with bushes a few years ago.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan of the House of the sea Front.

Credit: (Marec, E., 1950, )

Images

Fig. 2: Photographic view of the garden and its semi-circular basin. (aOrOc CNRS-ENS A.-A Malek)

Bibliography

Lavergne, D., "Le quartier 'des villae du front de mer", in Hippone, Ed. X. Delestre Ed., Aix en Provence, 2005, p. 127-138, plan phase 2. (worldcat)
Marec, E., Hippone, antique Hippo Regius, 1950, pp. 42-53, figs. 19, 21, 67. (worldcat)
Morel, J.P., "Recherches stratigraphiques à Hippone", in BAA, III, 1968, pp.35-84. (worldcat)
Pachtere, F.-G. DE, "Les nouvelles fouilles d'Hippone", in MEFR, XXXI, 1911, pp. 321-47, pl. XlII, XV (plan). (worldcat)