House of the Nymphs (Maison des Nymphes)

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

Dates

Unspecified

Garden Description

This large house (1500m²) laid-out around a peristyle-garden is known for its mosaic pavements figuring Homeric scenes. The peristyle is entered from the S. The N wing had a vast oecus-triclinium bordered on both sides by two apartments that each had two rooms and a passage to a pseudo-atrium (Plan view, Fig.1).

The peristyle was trapezoidal in shape (8.29 x 9 x 16. 15 m) and was bordered by 12 columns. Four porticos, 5m wide, enclosed the garden. The semicircular pool facing the oecus-triclinium, that projected into the garden was paved with a mosaic depicting a mask of Ocean among fishes and had an inscription "NYMFARUM DOMUS" quoting a passage from Virgil's Aeneid. According to the excavator, J.-P. Darmon, a row of broken amphoras that had served as planting pots were found along the central axis of the garden facing the oecus and the basin (Fig.2)

Plans

Fig.1: Plan of the House of the Nymphs.

Credit: (Darmon, J.P., 1980, p. 9, pp. 85-6 et p. 146.)

Images

Fig.2: Photographic view of the garden. (?)

Fig.3: View of the basin of the garden peristyle of the House of the Nymphs.

Credit: (Malek, A.-A., 2018, fig. 12.11A)

Fig.4: Detail of the basin with the inscription Nymfarum Domus.

Credit: (Malek, A.-A., 2018, fig. 12.11B)

Bibliography

Bullo, S., Ghedini, F., Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, p. 179-182. (worldcat)
Darmon, J.P., Nymfarum domus, Les pavements de la maison des Nymphes à Néapolis (Nabeul, Tunisie) et leur lecture, Leiden, 1980, p. 9, pp. 85-6 et p. 146. (worldcat)
Malek, A.-A., "Entre jardin et mosaïque: La verticalité et le merveilleux dans la vie quotidienne", in La Maison Gréco-romaine IX, Collection de l'Ecole Française de Rome n°352, Rome, 2005, p. 1335-1346. (worldcat)
Malek, A.-A., "Mosaic and nature : "Cultural allusions to Nature in the Roman Domus", in Gardens of the Roman Empire, Volume II, eds., W. F. Jashemski, K. Gleason, A-A Malek, K. Hartswick, Cambridge University Press., NY, 2018, pp. 333-336, fig. 12.11A. (worldcat)

Keywords

House of the Salsamenta (Usine de salaison)

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

Dates

Unspecified

Garden Description

A fish-curing factory (salsamenta) located to the SE of the Nymfarum domus was renovated between the IInd and the IIIrd centuries. Among the changes made was the design of a small house organized around a small peristyle garden (4 x 4 m.) (XXII) and bound by a low wall that curved to make a semi-circular basin (Plan view, Fig.1; ).

During the second half of the IVth century, with the abandonment of the industrial unit, the residential area was enlarged and a second semi-circular basin was added in the garden.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan of the House of the Salsamenta Phase 1.

Credit: ("L'usine de salaison de Néapolis (Nabeul). Premiers résultats des fouilles 1995-1998", *Africa* XVII, 1999, pp. 159-161, fig. 6)

Fig. 2: Plan of the House of the Salsamenta Phase 2.

Credit: ("L'usine de salaison de Néapolis (Nabeul). Premiers résultats des fouilles 1995-1998", *Africa* XVII, 1999, pp. 159-161, fig. 7)

Images

Fig. 3: Photos of the House of the Salsamenta site.

Fig. 4: Photos of the House of the Salsamenta site.

Fig. 5: Photos of the House of the Salsamenta site.

Bibliography

Bullo, S., Ghedini, F., Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, p. 183-184. (worldcat)
Slim, L., Bonifay, M., Trousset, P. and al., "L'usine de salaison de Néapolis (Nabeul). Premiers résultats des fouilles 1995-1998", in Africa XVII, 1999, pp. 159-161, fig. 6, 7. (worldcat)

Neapolis on Gardens of the Roman Empire

House of the Nymphs (Maison des Nymphes)

Dates

Garden Description

Plans

Images

Bibliography

Keywords

House of the Salsamenta (Usine de salaison)

Dates

Garden Description

Plans

Images

Bibliography

Keywords