Roman Architecture: Engineering and Urbanism of the Empire

Roman Architecture and Urbanism

Urbanism and Architecture are the two arts that best express the Roman character, as well as the most important instruments of Romanization for the Empire. Of great importance for the development of the territory and the city are the means of communication among the various territories, such as the road network, whose main road was the Via Augusta, which joined Rome and Cadiz, passing through Tarragona. There were also major engineering works such as bridges and aqueducts.

Private and Public Roman Buildings

Roman architectural buildings can be distinguished according to whether they are private or public. In the private sector, there were houses, which can be detached (domus) or for neighbors (insulae). The emperors built large villas and palaces on the outskirts of cities.

Public Architecture and Religious Buildings

In public architecture, one can distinguish between religious buildings and civil buildings. Among the first are the temples raised for the worship of the gods. In terms of civil edification, the Romans built a great number of buildings:

Monuments for Entertainment

• Hot Springs: Buildings for public baths.
• Theaters: Semicircular structures, similar to Greek theaters.
• Amphitheaters: An elliptical plant building area resulting from the union of two theaters in which gladiator fights, combats between ships, and struggles of animals were held.
• Circus: Where chariot races (horses and cars) were organized.

Administrative and Commemorative Structures

The most important administrative building is the basilica, a rectangular building divided into three naves covered with barrel vaults and a half-cupola, used for commerce, the administration of justice, and so on. Memorial and commemorative columns and triumphal arches are architectural elements with the desire to become symbols of a mighty empire, reminding them of the achievements of conquest.

Materials and Construction Techniques

The Romans built the majority of their buildings with stone and brick, although from the 1st century BC, marble became very popular, used at first for columns. New types of cladding were also used to build walls, the most important being opus caementicium, made with a mixture of small stones, gravel, sand, lime, and water.