Italic Architecture of the Earlier First Millennium BCE

What is it about?

This chapter examines the underpinnings of Roman architecture by exploring some critical issues related to the architecture of central Italy primarily during the first half of the first millennium BCE. Four categories of buildings are considered, namely domestic architecture, civic architecture, defensive architecture, and sacred architecture. It can be shown that over the first half of the first millennium BCE, a tradition of indigenous construction emerged with characteristics of material and form that would continue to have a marked influence on architectural design throughout Roman history. The chapter offers some comments on the nature of the architecture of the Italian peninsula prior to the Hellenistic period and asks questions about the nature of indigenous architectural forms.

Featured Image