Insula
An insula (Latin for "island," plural insulae) was a type of apartment complex that was the housing for the majority of the citizen population of ancient Rome, including all but the wealthiest from the upper-middle class (the equites).
The ground-level floor of the insula was used for tabernae, shops and businesses, with the living space upstairs. An insula might have a name, usually referring to the owner of the building. Often Insula constructed at minimal expense for resulting in poor construction. They were built in timber, mud brick, and later primitive concrete, and were prone to fire and collapse.
Typically the smallest living quarters were in the building's higher floors, and the largest and most expensive apartments being located on the lower floors (bottom was a prime location if it was not used for businesses). The could be up to six or seven stories high. Ancient Imperial Rome had legislated insulae height restrictions , but despite this there are known examples of insulae reaching eight or nine stories.
The uppermost floors were considered the least desirable due to the extra stairs and safety concerns, and thus the cheapest to rent. Unlike the lower floors, often the upper floors were without heating, running water or lavatories, which meant their occupants had to use Rome's extensive system of public restrooms (latrinae). Despite prohibitions, residents would sometimes dump trash and human excrement out the windows and into the surrounding streets and alleys.
In the cheaper and higher apartment houses an entire family (grandparents, parents, children) might all be crowded into one room, often with out water or facilities. They had to haul their water in from public fountains and because people were cooking meals in crowded quarters with many of the flats were made of wood, fire was a very real threat because. They had to use public latrines as they did not have toilets.
While the traditional elite and the very wealthy lived in domus (see below), the two kinds of housing were intermingled in the city and not segregated into separate neighborhoods.
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Last edited by Taffy on Thu Sep 10, 2015 8:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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