Raccolta, regimentazione e uso delle risorse idriche nell'hortus dei Praedia Iuliae Felicis (Pompei II 4, 9)

Any investigations of Roman domestic architecture, particularly in the Vesuvian area, requires considering the role of gardens and large open spaces, which often constitute a crucial element within both middle- and upper-class domus. Scholarship engaging with this topic has mainly focused on more general issues about architecture, design and ideology (e.g. the arrangement and decoration of gardens, the imitation of large senatorial and imperial villas). T he functional arrangement of these spaces, especially in terms of the collection, distribution and drainage of water, however, has remained largely overlooked. Indeed, closer examination of infrastructures such as cisterns, basins, channels and drainage systems allows a more detailed understanding both of Roman topiary art and, more generally, of the areas articulation of Roman domestic spaces. Based on these considerations, the paper discusses the results of recent investigations in the hortus of the Praedia Iuliae Felicis (Pompeii, II, 4, 9), focusing on the complex system of drains and cisterns discovered in the north-western area of the garden. Investigations conducted within the context of a broader research project (PRAEDIA-Pompeian Residential Architecture. Environmental, Digital, Interdisciplinary Archive) shed new light on the function of this large open area. Data collected in two campaigns of excavations (2019-2020) suggest a new reading of the hortus and the building as a whole. The large garden has so far been interpreted as a space for leisure and otium, in keeping with the prevailing taste of early-imperial Pompeii. Instead, exploitation for production of goods destined to the household and the clients of the Praedia’s commercial facilities seems more likely. Features about the design and imagery of the building support this interpretation, thus highlighting the Praedia’s role within the economic fabric of 1st-century CE Pompeii.