SPECAILIZATION 3

WED 2:00-5:00PM
LAO, JOSE CARLITOS D.
ARCH- 5

Where did the romans take inspiration from their landscaping?

Roman civilization flourished from about 700 B.C.E. to about 476 C.E. It began in the ancient city of
Rome. Rome is located in Italy, which includes islands and a peninsula in southern Europe. As Rome
grew, Roman culture was greatly influenced by two of Rome’s neighbors, the Etruscans and the Greeks.
The Romans borrowed many ideas and skills from these two groups, beginning with the Etruscans.

The Etruscans had dominated Etruria, a land just north of Rome. They built some city-states and
conquered others. By 600 B.C.E., they ruled much of northern and central Italy, including the town of
Rome. The Greeks also had a major influence on Roman culture. The Romans learned about Greek
culture when Greek colonists established towns in southern Italy and on the island of Sicily. Romans
also learned about Greek ways from traders and the many Greeks who came to Rome.

Landscaping was one of the things that romans learned from Greek. These landscapes were influenced
by classical antiquity and sought to illustrate an ideal landscape recalling Arcadia, a legendary place in
ancient Greece known for its quiet pastoral beauty. In a classical landscape the positioning of objects
was contrived; every tree, rock, or animal was carefully placed to present a harmonious, balanced, and
timeless mood.

Landscape with a Calm, Nicolas Poussin, 1650-1651

What are the different characteristics of Roman landscaping?

The greatest bloom of landscaping in ancient Rome occurred from I c. B.C. to I c. A.D. The climate of
the Apennine peninsula (Italian Peninsula) was Mediterranean, but softer and less arid than in Greece.
The abundance of water in the form of rivers and channels was characteristic, as well as mountainous
relief, presence of valuable construction materials (marble and limestone) and a broad spectrum of
trees, shrubs and flowering plants.

The landscaping of ancient Rome was developed on the basis of the traditions of Ancient Greece. Using
the achievements of Egyptian and Greek culture, Romans created their park culture, which, until now
is considered one of the richest in the ancient worlds history. Ancient Roman landscaping is different
from Ancient Greek. The new element of landscaping - peristyle - in which the courtyards of ancient
Roman houses were decorated with ponds and columns.
Examples of different trees and shrubs that the Romans used in their
landscape.

Different forms of pine trees, oaks, cypress, sycamores, strawberry trees, poplars, chestnut edibles,
pomegranates, olives and other fruits grew here. There were also types of trees which are well suited
for trimming such as boxwood, laurel, and myrtle. Flowers such as lily, gillyflower, irises, and tulips,
narcissuses, violet, carnation and other were popular.

Oak tree:

Judging by the leaf of the image above; it is quite similar to

the leaves in the painting on the left which is a variation of
an oak tree.

Cypress tree:

The tree on the painting resembles a young cypress

tree that is untrimmed.
Strawberry tree:

Marina strawberry tree

The leaves, the branches, the

stem and the fruit resembles a
marina strawberry tree.