19 - Insula of the aqueduct

The insula of the aqueduct is one of the oldest known Roman buildings in the city and corresponds to a type of construction very common in Rome itself - a large, multi-story building, internally divided into several small residences. In the specific case of this insula, we find, especially on the street that passed under the aqueduct arch, a set of small residential units, with one or two rooms each, intended for commercial or artisanal activities. These facilities were called tabernae in Latin. The reconstruction of the plan suggests that, in addition to the two floors at different levels that are visible today, the building had at least two more floors. Their plans would not have been very different from the ground floor, but it is possible that these upper floors were built of lighter materials than the lime-mortared stone used on the ground floor. The various residences opened onto a central courtyard that guaranteed them access by wooden stairs, ventilation and lighting, as well as some common facilities, such as the latrine that existed at the end of a semi-buried portico (cryptoporticus). At a later date in the city's history, the central courtyard was transformed into a cistern.