Gardens of the Roman Empire

Casa A Graticcio

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Province

Location

Location Description

An ancient Roman town of Campania destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D.79. Named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Insula

III

House

13-15

Garden

Casa A Graticcio

Keywords

N/A

Garden Description

538.III.13-15. This multi-family dwelling was excavated in 1927-1929. There was a small paved courtyard (a) 1.97 x 2.97 m. located to provide light and air to the surrounding apartments which was enclosed on the east, north and west by a low wall 0.76 m. high which formeda catch basin for rainwater. Herbs or flowers could be grown in the planting space (14 cm. wide x 25 cm. deep) on the top of the wall. The middle of the north side of the wall contained the mouth of a well that was 0.90 m. dia. and in the floor of the passageway to the west of the courtyard there was the mouth of a cistern covered by a circular piece of marble. There was a windlass with a rope found in a nearby room undoubtedly used to draw water from either of these fixtures. According to Maiuri, there could be a large cistern underground connecting the mouth of cistern in the passageway and the mouth of the well.

Plans

Plan of Casa A Graticcio

Places

Dates

unspecified

Excavation Date

1927-1929

Bibliography

Maiuri, Herculaneum, pp. 32-33 (worldcat)
Maiuri, Ercolano, pp. 412-413 and fig. 345 (plan) on p. 407 (worldcat)

Casa del Tramezzo di Legno

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Province

Location

Location Description

An ancient Roman town of Campania destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D.79. Named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Insula

III

House

Garden

Casa del Tramezzo di Legno

Keywords

Garden Description

537.III.11. Casa del Tramezzo di Legno The excavation of this house was begun in 1869-1875, but the excavation of the garden and restoration of the house was completed in the time period from January 1928 to December 1929. A wide opening on the west offered a view of the garden from the triclinium(b) directly across the way. A narrow storeroom (c) on the south had a small loggiasupported by slender columns overhead which provided a view down into the garden. The south garden wall was decorated with a garden painting. A combination of the painting's poor condition and the artist's strange sense of perspective caused difficulty ininterpretation. The typical lattice fence would appear to recede to form an apse for the fountain, however the lattice is painted over the fountain, a robust bowl-shaped affair, making it appear neither in front nor in back. An arbor was perhaps included,but the plaster was extensively damaged in this area. The birds were unusual, a small light colored bird perched on the right rim of the fountain was unable to be identified and on each side of the fountain at the base was a large sleepy duck (Anas sp.).A small slender heron on the right is picking at a snake. Beyond the fence various indistinct shrubs are painted on a yellow background. Between the two east pillars of the north wall the cisternmouth received water collected by the gutter which ran around the perimeter of the garden.

Plans

Plan of Casa del Tramezzo di Legno

Images

Illustration of Casa del Tramezzo di Legno

Places

Dates

unspecified

Excavation Dates

1869-1875

Bibliography

Jashemski, Gardens, 1:59,and fig. 94 on p. 58 (worldcat)
Jashemski, Gardens, Vol.II, P. 370 (worldcat)
Maiuri, Herculaneum, pp. 35-36 (worldcat)
Maiuri, Ercolano, pp. 231, 217-218 and fig. 162 (plan) on p. 208 (worldcat)

Casa dell'Ara Laterizia

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Province

Location

Location Description

An ancient Roman town of Campania destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D.79. Named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Insula

III

House

Garden

Casa dell'Ara Laterizia

Keywords

Garden Description

539.III.17. At the rear of this small house there was a courtyard with an impressive brick altar against the rear wall. Maiuri felt this was probably a roofed area which would have been a sacellum. This area was excavated in 1927-1929 and may have held a few potted plants.

540.III.19-18/1-2 Because it was one of the largest houses in Herculaneum commanding a fine view of the Bay, it was initially thought that this residence was a hotel when it was excavated between the years of 1835 to 1855. The large garden (a) was also mistaken for a poultry yard but the discovery of the carbonized trunk of a pear tree (Pyrus communis L.) would indicate this area could have been planted in fruit trees. A portico surrounded the garden eight steps (1.10) above the garden level while the gutter ran one step below the portico and at each corner there was a shallow square basin for purifying the household water. The gutter conveyed the rain water to a cistern below the two wells, the openings of which were located between the columns in the middle of the east and west walls. A low masonry wall of opus reticulatum which went between the columns was a later addition. The garden was entered by way of masonry steps in the center of the south side.

Plans

Plan of Casa dell'Ara Laterizia

Images

Illustration of Casa dell'Ara Laterizia

Places

Dates

unspecified

Excavation Date

1835-1855

Bibliography

Maiuri, Ercolano, p. 422 and fig. 359 (plan) on p. 420.
A.C. BdI (1835),p. 129 (worldcat)
Maiuri, Herculaneum, pp. 26-27 (worldcat)
Trotter, "Identificazione di un tronco d'albero carbonizzato rinvenuto nei recenti scavi di Ercolano," Annali del Regio Instituto Superiore Agrario di Portici, ser. 3, vol. 5 (1932), pp. 1-6 and pls. 1, 2 (worldcat)
Trotter, Ercolano, pp. 51, 330-331 and fig. 258 (plan) on p. 474-475 (for reference to Bonucci's brief and inaccurate account of the excavation of this house, as preserved by Ruggerio) (worldcat)

Casa dello Scheletro

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Province

Location

Location Description

An ancient Roman town of Campania destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D.79. Named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Insula

III

House

Garden

Casa dello Scheletro

Keywords

Garden Description

The small light well of this house had once been occupied by a pool. By the time of the eruption it had been filled with soil and converted to a small garden (a). During this change an aedicula was built on a high podium against the back wall, decorated with mosaic and shells, and garden paintings were added to the light well walls. The walls on the east and south had panels framed on the top and sides with a wide red band and a smaller black one inside. The south wall had panels on both sides of the mosaic aedicule, and of all the panels, the left panel of the south wall was the best preserved, although the GARDENS OF THE ROMAN EMPIREITALIA2center third is missing. In this panel the lattice fence is evident and a tympanumis suspended form the center of the top. This panel also has traces of what could have been a trellised pergola just to the left of the aedicula. The garden in the background is filled with densely planted bushes and a bird is perched on a branch on either edge of the panel. A masonry base was uncovered in the pool which had at one time supported a fountain jet or statuette. The excavation was begun in 1830-1831, resumed in 1869-1871, and completed in 1927. The niche of the aedecula shrine was decorated with a cluster of acanthus leaves with a female face in the center. A small roof was set in the wall to protect the painting and above this was a marble relief of an amorino flying to the left carrying a filled money purse. An iron grate was built over the top of this light well to prevent intruders from gaining access from the neighbor's roofs. To the north was an apsed room which gained light and air from this area.

Plans

Plan of Casa dello Scheletro

Places

Dates

unspecified

Excavation Date

1830-1831; 1869-1871; 1927

Bibliography

Jashemski, Gardens, vol.II, pp. 369-370 (worldcat)
Maiuri, Herculaneum, pp. 35-36 (worldcat)
Maiuri, Ercolano, pp. 51, 272-274 and fig. 213 (plan) on p. 266;(worldcat)
Sear, Roman wall and vault mosaics no. 26, pp. 66-67, calls the shrine a fountain.(worldcat)