Towns

Italy

1. 1.Ostia (Port of Rome)

• At the mouth of the Tiber
• Earliest example of geometrical “Roman” planning.
• Oldest part of port is the castrum built around 349 BC made from tufa (limestone).
• Built when Latium was troubled by Greek pirates and the garrison consisted of about 300 military colonists.
• Etruscan thinking shown with the frontal lay out of the temple.
• By 2 BC Ostia expanded into a commercial city of fragments except for the area east of the castrum which held regimented buildings such as baths, barracks of the vigils, the theatre etc.
• The decumanus maximum ran from east-west with the cardo running north-south
• Permanent defensive walls erected in 80 BC.
• Construction of Imperial Harbour began in 42 AD under Emperor Claudius. A canal was also built to link the harbour to the Tiber which helped to relieve flooding. However it was not gale-proof and Trajan built a widened basin for it, hexagonal on plan 50 years later.
• Along the quays were pierced travertine blocks to which ships could be moored.
• Forum-Imperial shape, not wholly original. Elongated space lined with colonnades. In the time of Hadrian, the two temples at either end were replaced by the Capitolium which was on a podium and built of brick with marble veneer. It was dedicated to the Triad (Minerva, Jupiter, Juno). Opposite is the smaller temple of Rome and Augustus once made fully out of marble.
• Housing-Resembled types of Rome. Comfortable people lived in a domus, a private dwelling with atrium and peristyle. However, due to growth of population, many people ended up living in insulae.

1. 2.Aosta (2 years ago)

• Founded by Augustus in 25 BC.
• Used for 3,000 discharged soldiers of the Praetorian Guard.
• Was of tactical importance which can be seen in its severe military outline.
• Walled colony was 100 acres in extent and planned in 16 large blocks.
• Amphitheatre is strangely placed within the walls (for local reasons of security).

Africa

1. 3.Timgad (Last Year)

• 12 miles east of Lambaesis.
• Exhibits Roman town-planning in simplest terms.
• Founded in 100 AD as a colonia by Trajan.
• Designed to house the IIIrd Augsutan Legion’s veterans in a suitably regimented environment.
• At first it was nearly a square with rounded corners, main gates in the centre of ¾ sides and two posterns.
• West gate late became a triumphal arch.
• Publin/Private buildings are spread loosely outside the city walls.
• There is a law court on the eastern side. There is also a curia/council chamber.
• The theatre is cut into a low hill with seating capacity of 3,500-4,000.
• Hint of intellectual life shown by library building (l) and its veneered brickwork. The recesses were used for storing scrolls/books.
• Church form notable series and lie mostly outside the original plan. The largest is an aisled basilica 100 yards long (3^rd-5^th Century-Christian).