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Dissertation
Natural and artificial grottoes in ancient Roman villas: a sensory study
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Spring 2024
DOI: 10.25820/etd.007403
Abstract
This dissertation contextualizes the sensory designs of natural and artificial caves with hydraulic features that were embedded into Roman villas in Italy from the second century BCE to the second century CE. These grottoes were decorated with architectural elements, stuccoes, mosaics, paintings, and/or sculptures that engaged the bodily senses beyond sight. This study traces the development of these monuments, focusing on four case studies that illustrate pivotal moments in residential grotto design, their associated sensory experiences, and how these experiences dovetail with the overall villa visit. This examination is accompanied by 3D digital models that recreate the varying light levels and replicate immersive experience of the four grottoes in their respective villa environments, the details of which are difficult to understand through the existing archaeological remains alone. By using digital models and discussing these case studies within their larger villa contexts, this dissertation arrives at a more nuanced understanding of the lived experiences of individuals in the ancient Roman world, offering the modern audience new insights into how ancient visitors perceived, experienced, and interacted with art and architecture in their villa grotto environments.
This dissertation consists of five body chapters, the first of which surveys the material remains of the 41 extant ancient Roman villa grottoes in Italy. Each of the following four chapters focuses on a well-preserved case study that exemplifies a significant stage in grotto development that was summarized in chapter 1. Chapter 2 focuses on an artificial located within the larger suburban estate of Maecenas in Rome (ca. 30s BCE). Chapter 3 investigates a natural seaside cave integrated into a maritime villa at Sperlonga (ca. 4-26 CE). Chapter 4 features a manmade fountain, tunnel, and waterfall incorporated into an enormous garden complex at the urban Villa San Marco in Stabiae (ca. 62-79 CE). Chapter 5 considers a monumental dining grotto backed by a manmade waterfall and facing an enormous water canal at the Emperor Hadrian’s country villa in Tivoli (ca. 125-128 CE). Taken together, the models and the text of my dissertation contextualize how these four grottoes are integrated into the overall architectural and sensory experience of their respective villas.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Natural and artificial grottoes in ancient Roman villas: a sensory study
- Creators
- Myat Thinzar Aung
- Contributors
- Brenda Longfellow (Advisor)Robert Bork (Committee Member)Barbara Mooney (Committee Member)Björn Anderson (Committee Member)Rabun Taylor (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Art History
- Date degree season
- Spring 2024
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.007403
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- xx, 243 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2024 Myat Thinzar Aung
- Language
- English
- Date submitted
- 04/23/2024
- Description illustrations
- illustrations, tables
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 198-218).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
- This dissertation explores the sensory designs of natural and artificial grottoes (cave-like spaces with flowing water) found in Roman villas across Italy from the second century BCE to the second century CE. These grottoes were carefully designed with water displays, architectural features, paintings, mosaics, and sculptures that engaged bodily senses beyond sight. This study traces the development of these monuments, focusing on four case studies that illustrate pivotal moments in residential grotto design, their associated sensory experiences, and how these experiences dovetail with the overall villa visit. Using 3D digital modeling, this dissertation recreates varying light levels and water in these four grottoes to reconstruct their immersive qualities beyond what remains in archaeological evidence. The dissertation consists of five body chapters, the first of which surveys the material remains of the 41 extant ancient Roman villa grottoes in Italy. The subsequent chapters examine four case studies, which are the artificial grotto of Maecenas in Rome, the natural cave at Sperlonga, the elaborate water features of Villa San Marco in Stabiae, and the dining grotto and canal at Emperor Hadrian's villa in Tivoli. By combining archaeological analysis with digital reconstruction, this dissertation offers modern audiences a deeper understanding of how ancient Romans engaged with art and architecture in their domestic spaces. It further provides valuable insights into the lived experiences of individuals in the ancient world, enriching the appreciation of Roman history and cultural heritage.
- Academic Unit
- School of Art, Art History, and Design
- Record Identifier
- 9984647454202771
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