What Does the Word "Villa" Mean?
Villa refers to a country home built in a classic Italian style. The Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus explains that the word has been "used since the Roman period to designate country houses, generally of some pretension, and often including their outbuildings and gardens." A villa is spacious and grand home built for beauty and enjoyment. It is far from the utilitarian style of many small modern homes.
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History
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Use of the term villa dates to the early Roman Empire. The scholars of the period referred to two types of villas: the villa rustica and the villa urbana. The villa rustica was a home for the servants of a working farm. The villa urbana was a country home for wealthy Romans wishing to leave the city--often in the heat of the summer--and escape to the cooler hills and mountains beyond the city. Some estates contained both types of villas. In modern terms, the villa urbana was a mansion and the villa rustica its associated servants quarters.
Architectural Features
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A home referred to as a villa has distinctive features. The most striking is an interior courtyard. Many villas also have a central round tower, taller than the rest of the building, as a focal point. Villas are built on large pieces of land and have extensive gardens with water features. Like other Roman architecture of the period villas are decorated with mosaics, frescoes and statuary. Villa roofs are often rounded terra cota ceramic tile. Their interior and exterior walls were painted plaster.
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Villa Landscapes
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A villa was normally built on a sprawling piece of land in the country. It often featured both active agriculture including farming vegetables, fruits, grapevines and olives, and extensive pleasure gardens. Ideally the villa could be self-sufficient. The gardens of a villa included plants that grew well in the region's relatively dry climate including lavender, rosemary, citrus and bougainvillea. Gardens were organized around packed dirt or rock-strewn paths and featured statuary, fountains and pools.
Adopt the Villa Style
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If you would like to bring classic villa style to your home you can do so by incorporating certain elements. A villa-styled home will feature warm earth tones, rounded doorways and walls, rustic furnishing, ceramic tile, and abundant drought-resistant landscaping.
Climate
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Villas are designed for the Mediterranean climate. They feature an open floor plan, thin walls, and fragile roofing materials. They are not appropriate for cold climates or those climates that face harsh winds, hurricanes or tornadoes. A classic villa would provide the occupant little protection from harsh conditions.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Statuary at The Villa Adriana
