Medieval House: Vicolo della Luce, 6
Title
Subject
Description
While a majority of the medieval homes in Rome have been lost to reconstruction projects and over-restoration, a few residential spaces scattered across the city offer insight into the forms and components of medieval houses. An excellent example lies on a corner at the intersection of Via della Lungaretta and Vicolo della Luce in Trastevere. Restored in 1985, this residency retains its original substructure, plan, and decoration, enabling viewers to glimpse into the world of medieval homes.
According to Deborah Robbins, this home exhibits the principle characteristics of a middle tier Roman house and was likely owned by a merchant or successful craftsman. Featuring an arcaded portico that extended into both Via Della Lungaretta and Vicolo della Luce and supported by simple but expensive marble columns, the ground level would have been used for the owner’s shop or for storage space. Above the portico sequence of small arches called corbels provided attractive decoration and expanded the available floor space of the second story. The living quarters on the second floor were accessible by an external staircase (located along the wall facing Vicolo della Luce) that was protected by walls and a roof. Therefore, this residence was equipped with a number of features (portico, columns, ornamental frieze, etc.), testifying to its owner’s status as a well-to-do businessperson.
Ultimately, this illustrative home highlights many of the features we should be looking for as we endeavor to uncover the medieval city. If you stumble upon an external staircase or band of corbels in Trastevere or one of Rome’s other urban neighborhoods, you may very well be looking at a medieval home. Try to strip away the modern plaster and windows and imagine the original portico protruding into the street from the façade. Although a romanticized depiction of this home, Roesler Franz’s 19th painting helps us do this by shedding light on what the brickwork, shop, and staircase may have looked like in the medieval period. For other examples of medieval residencies consider visiting the house on Vicolo dell’Atleta, the Casa dei Mattei facing the piazza in Pisculina, or the Casa di Fieramosca in front of Santa Cecilia.
Abstract
Creator
Source
Robbins, Deborah King. “A case study of medieval urban process: Rome’s Trastevere (1250-1450).” Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley, 1989.
Identifier
Spatial Coverage
Description
While a majority of the medieval homes in Rome have been lost to reconstruction projects and over-restoration, a few residential spaces scattered across the city offer insight into the forms and components of medieval houses. An excellent example lies on a corner at the intersection of Via della Lungaretta and Vicolo della Luce in Trastevere. Restored in 1985, this residency retains its original substructure, plan, and decoration, enabling viewers to glimpse into the world of medieval homes.
According to Deborah Robbins, this home exhibits the principle characteristics of a middle tier Roman house and was likely owned by a merchant or successful craftsman. Featuring an arcaded portico that extended into both Via Della Lungaretta and Vicolo della Luce and supported by simple but expensive marble columns, the ground level would have been used for the owner’s shop or for storage space. Above the portico sequence of small arches called corbels provided attractive decoration and expanded the available floor space of the second story. The living quarters on the second floor were accessible by an external staircase (located along the wall facing Vicolo della Luce) that was protected by walls and a roof. Therefore, this residence was equipped with a number of features (portico, columns, ornamental frieze, etc.), testifying to its owner’s status as a well-to-do businessperson.
Ultimately, this illustrative home highlights many of the features we should be looking for as we endeavor to uncover the medieval city. If you stumble upon an external staircase or band of corbels in Trastevere or one of Rome’s other urban neighborhoods, you may very well be looking at a medieval home. Try to strip away the modern plaster and windows and imagine the original portico protruding into the street from the façade. Although a romanticized depiction of this home, Roesler Franz’s 19th painting helps us do this by shedding light on what the brickwork, shop, and staircase may have looked like in the medieval period. For other examples of medieval residencies consider visiting the house on Vicolo dell’Atleta, the Casa dei Mattei facing the piazza in Pisculina, or the Casa di Fieramosca in front of Santa Cecilia.
Creator
Nate Grein (2017)Source
Krautheimer, Richard. Rome: Profile of a City, 312-1308. Hong Kong: Princeton University Press.Robbins, Deborah King. “A case study of medieval urban process: Rome’s Trastevere (1250-1450).” Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley, 1989.