Transcript Ancient Rome - Technology Department

Ancient Roman Architecture
Architecture I
Fairport High School
Technology Department
The Roman Empire: 509BC to 330AD
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The art of many different peoples and
classes, from emperors to slaves.
The architecture of the Romans was, from
first to last, an art of shaping space around
ritual.
In other words, Ancient Roman architecture
was regulated by their custom of a system of
rites.
Roman Architecture
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theaters, baths, roads,
basilicas, bridges,
monuments, fountains
Development of the:
arch, vault, dome
Roads
Aqueducts
The Coliseum
The Pantheon
The Trevi Fountain
The Coliseum
The Dome at St. Peter’s Cathedral
The Pantheon
Roman Road at Herculaneum
Roman Roads
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The engineers of Rome built an unparalleled network of roads
Approximately 50,000 miles (80,000 km) of roads
The old saying
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"all roads lead to Rome“
Rome was the hub of commerce, trade, politics, culture and
military might in the Mediterranean, and the grand achievement
of her road network all led directly to the city and back out to her
many territories.
Roman Roads
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One could start traveling on a Roman road in northwest Africa,
travel around the entire Mediterranean sea, end up in Rome and
never have left a Roman road.
Roman Aqueducts
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Among the greatest achievements in the ancient world
The 11 separate aqueducts supplied the city of Rome
and were built over a span of 500 years.
The running water, indoor plumbing and sewer system
carrying away disease from the population within the
Empire wasn't surpassed in capability until very
modern times.
The entire system relied upon various gradients and
the use of gravity to maintain a continuous flow
Without the aqueducts it would've been impossible to
maintain the flow of water at the proper grades
required.
Roman Aqueducts
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When water reached Rome it flowed into enormous cisterns
(castella) maintained on the highest ground. These large
reservoirs held the water supply for the city and were connected
to a vast network of lead pipes.
Roman Colosseum
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The Colosseum
(the Flavian Amphitheater)
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one of Rome's
most famous
buildings and
enduring
monuments to the
culture of the
ancient Romans.
Roman Colosseum
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Construction was initiated by the Emperor
Vespasian around 72 AD.
His son Titus reigned over its completion and
the official opening ceremonies
Time to build: 8 years later (80 AD.)
Roman Colosseum
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The huge theater was originally built encompassing
four floors. The first three had arched entrances,
while the fourth floor utilized rectangular doorways.
The floors each measured between 10,5-13,9
meters (32-42 feet) in height.
The total height of the construction was
approximately 48 meters (144 feet).
The arena measured 79 x 45 meters (237-135 feet),
and consisted of wood and sand.
The word "arena" is derived from the Latin arena,
which means "sand."
Nets along the sides protected the audience.
Roman Colosseum
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The audience, upon entering, climbed sloping ramps
to their seats, according to gender and social class.
Obviously, the higher one's social status, the better
their seating arrangement would be.
For example, women (excepting spouses and
perhaps imperial family) and the poor, stood or sat
on wooden benches in the fourth tier.
For inclement or very hot weather conditions, an
enormous, colored awning (velarium) could be
stretched overhead to protect the crowd.
The Pantheon
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The Pantheon is one of the great spiritual buildings
of the world.
It was built as a Roman temple and later
consecrated as a Catholic Church.
Its monumental porch originally faced a rectangular
colonnaded temple courtyard and now fronts the
smaller Piazza della Rotonda.
Through great bronze doors, one enters one great
circular room.
The interior volume is a cylinder above which rises
the hemispherical dome.
The Pantheon
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The portico consists of three
rows of eight columns, 14 m
(46 feet) high of Egyptian
granite with Corinthian
capitals.
They support an entablature
facing the square, which
bears the famous inscription
in Latin, attributing the
construction to Agrippa,
although the temple was
rebuilt later by Hadrian.
The Pantheon
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The dome has a span of
43.3 m (143 feet)
A whole sphere can be
inscribed in the interior
volume
with the diameter at the
floor of the cylinder of
43.3 m (143 feet)
equaling the interior
height.
St. Peter’s Cathedral
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Architect: Giacomo della Porta
LocationVatican City
(surrounded by Rome)
Date:1546 to 1564 and1590
Building Type: church
Style: Italian Renaissance
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The architectural technique of the arch is a
trademark of Ancient Rome.
The Romans applied the arch to many of
their buildings for two reasons: as a support
and for decoration.
Two of the first structures to carry arches are
bridges and aqueducts.
Triumphal arches were later constructed to
honor their leaders, and vaults came into
practice, which are arched roofs.
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Although not the only empire to practice the
architectural legacy of the column
The columns were utilized as a support and
decoration.
The Ancient Romans came up with five
different types of columns:Tuscan, Doric,
Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite.
Most of these, however, were adopted from Greek columns.