DRAFT

Le Pinard, House A

Contributor: Yichen Liu
Published: 2021-04-21
Modified: 2025-06-29

Province

Province Description

Ancient Roman colony (founded 118 BCE) and senatorial province located in modern southern France, along the Mediterranean. This province had stronger cultural and political ties to Italy than the rest of Gaul.

Location

Sublocation

Le Pinard, House A

Garden

Le Pinard, House A

Keywords

Garden Description

This vast house lies 120 m southwest of the theater in the southern quarter of the ancient town at a place called le pinard, "the wine" from the pinot grape. Partially excavated in 1967-1968, it is still not entirely unearthed. The known portions extend over 1250 m2 of which 715 m2 are useful covered area. The last state is dated to the second century, but one may well suppose that there were earlier states not yet studied or exposed.

The natural slope of the terrain towards the east led to building the house in levels around a central garden [9]. On three sides – north, south, and west – the garden is bordered by a gallery perhaps with a second floor above. The fourth, lower side was closed by a wall. The almost square courtyard, about 17.5 m on each side, was certainly treated as a garden. An ornamental pool is centered on the reception wing on the west side, which is dominated by a large triclinium [6] which opens onto the garden by a large bay. This rectangular pool is about 11 m in length and has the peculiarity that its bottom has two levels differing by about 20 cm although the water surface of the pool is all on the same level. It is terminated on the western, uphill side by a little semicircular apse surmounted by a niche in a mass of masonry. This little structure does not seem to have been intended to be viewed from the triclinium but from the other end of the garden. Into this masonry is integrated a well about 10 m deep, cut into the marl, which functions at the same time as the pool.

Plans

Plan of Le Pinard, House A

Bibliography

  1. Bouet, Alain. La Maison Urbaine D'époque Romaine: Atlas Des Maisons De Gaule Narbonnaise. Vaucluse: Service d'Archéologie du Conseil Général de Vaucluse, 1996, P. 76-77. (worldcat)

  2. Chr. Fraisse, J. Dupraz, L'Ardèche, CAG 07, Gap, 2001, P. 153-154

  3. Gros, Pierre. L'architecture romaine: du début du IIIe siècle av. J.-C. à la fin du Haut-Empire. 1, 1,. Paris: A. et J. Picard, 2011, P. 190-191.(worldcat)

Places

Explore the places containing this garden: