The reconstruction of the roofing system of the three large halls of the Edificio Tripartito at the Villa Adriana, Tivoli, has always been problematic because they have spans between 7.0 and 9.0 meters with supporting walls only 60 cm thick. Lying on the ground are fragments of very peculiar flat concrete ceiling slabs up to 90 cm thick, apparently built on wood formworks, which have provoked several unsatisfactory attempts to resolve the roofing problem. However, a careful analysis of the slabs, made in several layers of opus coementicium, opus spicatum and cocciopesto, and a final layer of mosaic, allows for a new reconstruction revealing an innovative system for building a flat concrete roof. Moreover, remains of lead sheets, inserted in one of the best preserved specimens of the slabs, show the provision for the drainage of rain water on the exterior terrace. The technique employed is very unusual, and at the moment is not documented elsewhere in the context of Roman architecture; clearly, this arrangement was conceived and tested during the construction of the building by a particularly skilled group of workers, once again highlighting the role of Villa Adriana during Emperor Hadrian’s time as a laboratory for technical and architectural experimentation.
The Roofing System of the Tripartite Building at Hadrian’s Villa, Tivoli (Italy)
AMICI, Carla Maria
2016-01-01
Abstract
The reconstruction of the roofing system of the three large halls of the Edificio Tripartito at the Villa Adriana, Tivoli, has always been problematic because they have spans between 7.0 and 9.0 meters with supporting walls only 60 cm thick. Lying on the ground are fragments of very peculiar flat concrete ceiling slabs up to 90 cm thick, apparently built on wood formworks, which have provoked several unsatisfactory attempts to resolve the roofing problem. However, a careful analysis of the slabs, made in several layers of opus coementicium, opus spicatum and cocciopesto, and a final layer of mosaic, allows for a new reconstruction revealing an innovative system for building a flat concrete roof. Moreover, remains of lead sheets, inserted in one of the best preserved specimens of the slabs, show the provision for the drainage of rain water on the exterior terrace. The technique employed is very unusual, and at the moment is not documented elsewhere in the context of Roman architecture; clearly, this arrangement was conceived and tested during the construction of the building by a particularly skilled group of workers, once again highlighting the role of Villa Adriana during Emperor Hadrian’s time as a laboratory for technical and architectural experimentation.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
