The Roman Villa: An Investigation of Typology

"The Roman villa is a distinct typology emerging from urban precedents which are transformed by site, programs, and constructional methods and materials in order to represent the Roman city. The reconstruction of Pliny's Laurentine villa, as described in his letter to Clusinius Gallus, provides the context for this investigation of typology and for an exploration of Pliny's urban reproposition...This scenario allows the incorporation and transformation of typological elements as well as spatial comparisons relative to the chronology o Roman structural technology. The language of the villa reflects the actual materials of the Romans while their assembly necessarily reflects the era of this reconstruction."