What was the impluvium in a Roman house?

What was the impluvium in a Roman house?

atrium
The impluvium is the sunken part of the atrium in a Greek or Roman house (domus). Designed to carry away the rainwater coming through the compluvium of the roof, it is usually made of marble and placed about 30 cm below the floor of the atrium and emptied into a subfloor cistern.

What was the Roman domus?

domus, plural domus, private family residence of modest to palatial proportions, found primarily in ancient Rome and Pompeii. In contrast to the insula (q.v.), or tenement block, which housed numerous families, the domus was a single-family dwelling divided into two main parts, atrium and peristyle.

What was the purpose of the impluvium and compluvium in a Roman atrium?

The compluvium allowed light, fresh air, and rain to enter the atrium; the impluvium was necessary to capture any rainwater and channel it to an underground cistern. The water could then be used for household purposes.

What is the purpose of a compluvium?

Compluvium refers to an architecture feature of ancient Roman atrium. The term refers to a square opening in the roof of Roman house for lighting. Compluvium also served to allow rainwater to flow into the impluvium or the cistern.

What were domus made out of?

The huts were probably made of mud and wood with thatched roofs and a centre opening for the hearth’s smoke to escape. This could have been the beginnings of the atrium, which was common in later homes.

What were Domus made out of?

Who lived in Domus?

Wealthy Roman citizens
Wealthy Roman citizens in the towns lived in a domus. They were single-storey houses which were built around a courtyard known as an atrium. Atriums had rooms opening up off of them and they had no roofs. A rich Roman house had many rooms including kitchen, bath, dining, bedrooms and rooms for slaves.

What was the difference between the compluvium and impluvium?

What was the difference between the compluvium and impluvium? The compluvium was a square opening in the roof over the atrium, designed to let in light and rainwater. The impluvium was a rectangular pool directly beneath the compluvium, used to collect the rainwater, which was then stored for family use.

What does impluvium mean in Latin?

Etymology. Latin impluvium, from impluit (“rains upon”)

When was Domus built?

Domus Aurea

Coordinates 41°53′29″N 12°29′43″ECoordinates: 41°53′29″N 12°29′43″E
Type Roman villa
History
Builder Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus
Founded c. 64–68 AD

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