When did Roman gardens flourish?
Roman gardens thrived from 150 BC to 350 AD. The Gardens of Lucullus on the Pincian Hill in Rome introduced the Persian garden to Europe around 60 BC.
Questions about Roman gardens
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What cultures influenced Roman garden design?
Roman gardens drew on Egyptian, Persian, and Greek traditions. Egypt had formal gardens as early as 2800 BC, Persia contributed enclosed designs organized around water channels called rills, and Greece supplied the peristyle courtyard and the concept of sacred groves.
Were Roman gardens only for wealthy people?
No specific type of Roman garden was reserved for the wealthy. Excavations at Pompeii show that ordinary Romans maintained smaller gardens scaled to the space of their homes, and lower-class Romans grew herbs and vegetables in kitchen gardens from an early period.
What plants were grown in Roman gardens?
Common plants included pine trees, roses, cypress, rosemary, and mulberry trees, as well as marigolds, hyacinths, narcissi, violets, saffron, cassia, and thyme. Herbs such as garlic, basil, coriander, dill, and rosemary were grown for cooking and medicine as far as Britain.
How do historians know what Roman gardens looked like?
Roman gardens are studied through archaeological and archaeobotanical research, most famously at Pompeii, alongside literary sources, wall paintings, and mosaics. Pollen and root cavity analysis, such as extensive work at Villa Boscoreale in Herculaneum, help identify specific plant species.
How did Roman garden design influence later European gardens?
Roman garden practices passed through the Byzantine Empire, which preserved the tradition and transmitted it to later eras. This led to the Italian garden, whose elements were adopted by Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, and twentieth-century landscape architects. Modern Italian gardens still feature interplanting of species and terracotta pots, both characteristic of Roman practice.