Villa rustica

Villa rustica ("countryside villa") was the term used by the ancient Romans to denote a villa set in the open countryside, often as the hub of a large agricultural estate (latifundium). The adjective rusticum was used to distinguish it from an urban or resort villa. The villa rustica would thus serve both as a residence of the landowner and his family (and retainers) and also as a farm management centre. It would often comprise separate buildings to accommodate farm labourers and sheds and barns for animals and crops. In modern British archaeology, a villa rustica is commonly (and misleadingly) referred to simply as a "Roman villa".

The villa rustica's design differed depending on the architect, but usually it consisted of three parts; the urbana (main house), agricultural center and the rusticana (farm area).

Some known villae rusticae

Roman Villa Rustica Model. Found a few remnants of these villas in the vicinity of Valjevo, Serbia.

United Kingdom

• Woodchester Roman Villa
• Lullingstone Roman Villa
• Low Ham Roman Villa
• Fishbourne Roman Palace
• Bignor Roman Villa
• Brading Roman Villa
• Borough Hill Roman villa
• Chedworth Roman Villa
• Crofton Roman Villa
• Gadebridge Park Roman Villa
• Llantwit Major Roman Villa
• Littlecote Roman Villa
• Piddington Roman Villa
• Newport Roman Villa

Germany

• Roman Villa Borg

Italy

• Villa Boscoreale

Switzerland

• Irgenhausen Castrum (it was built on the remains of a former villa rustica)

References

• Annalia Marzano: Roman villas in central Italy: a social and economic history. Brill 2007, ISBN 978-90-04-16037-8 (restricted online copy at Google Books)
• Alfred Frazer: The Roman villa: villa urbana. UPenn Museum of Archaeology 1998, ISBN 978-0-924171-59-8 (restricted online copy at Google Books)
• Alexander Gordon McKay: Houses, villas, and palaces in the Roman world . JHU Press 1998, ISBN 978-0-8018-5904-5 (restricted online copy at Google Books)
• John T. Smith: Roman Villas. A Study in Social Structure. Routledge, London, 1997. ISBN 0-415-16719-1
• John Percival: The Roman Villa. A Historical Introduction. Batsford, London, 1988 (Paperback).

External links

• villa rustica - open air museum at Hechingen (Germany)