Ancient Roman Villa

Ancient Rome
One of the most influential civilizations in history, ancient Rome controlled a vast amount of territory, home to millions of people.

Although its military conquests and great arenas are still well known to this day, often overlooked is Rome's equally fascinating culture.

Based on thorough research, I wanted to create a historically authentic depiction of a Roman villa (or domus), complete with many of the typical rooms and furnishings in that type of structure as an educational tool through which builders can learn about what life might have looked and felt like for someone living in the Roman world.

What is a villa?
Villas were large homes where families lived and worked, some villas were built on countryside estates, while others were constructed within cities.

This home does not belong to an average Roman, but a wealthy old man who lives with his daughter. There was a strict social hierarchy in ancient Rome, based on the wealth of one's estate. Plebians (working-class Romans) could likely not afford a large and extravagant villa. It's owner is most likely a wealthy Patrician (upper-class) or a particularly wealthy Equestrian (middle-class)

The villa in this set contains two fully-furnished floors based on the kinds of rooms that would be present in real Roman villas. On the first floor, there is an impluvium (an indoor pool which collects rainwater) as well as a peristylium (courtyard) with cushions for minifigures to lay on during meals.

The first floor also features a sitting room where the owner of the house does business, and a fully-stocked kitchen with adjoining storage room.

This floor also includes two shops. Commercial space was not uncommon to have in villas, these shops could either be run by the family or rented out. In this set, the shop fronts are being rented out respectively to a fruit merchant and a pottery salesman.

The second floor contains two bedrooms. During the time that this villa would have existed, Roman design was awash with bright and vibrant color. Deep reds, rusty oranges, the bright whites and dark blacks of mosaics, and even more. This set helps to dispel the myth of a sterile marble Rome. Rome, like all civilizations, was a place where people lived, and thus it was full of life and color. It seems some graffiti has even been painted onto the side of the house! The large amount of real Roman graffiti that has been found has helped us gain a better sense of these people and their culture.

Of course! I absolutely love minifigures, and wanted to include some. The three in this set represent the man who owns this property, his daughter, and the fruit merchant who rents one of their storefronts. (Although those who buy this set are welcome to change around their roles!) The family also has a dog, as ancient Romans were just as fond of their canine companions as we are today!

Thank you for taking the time to read through this! I really hope you have learned something new about the fascinating history of Roman culture, and if you haven't, then I hope you can appreciate this fascinating civilization as much as I do. I hope you will support this set and help me promote learning about the complex and important history of the world we live in.