Rome’s Model and idea and its importance in the Development and Construction of other Medieval Cities
Introduction
Building and construction seems to have begun as the same time as human existence as shelter was a requirement. Human beings needed to be shielded from environmental factors such as rain and solar heat. Although the structures back then were constructed of temporary materials such as grass and mud, they still required prior planning and preparation. As time went by, people came up with more complex designs and ideas that called for detailed planning. Building materials also had a more permanent nature, thus the construction of permanent buildings. Some of the earliest nations to come up with permanent structures with unique designs included the Egyptians and the Persians; others such as the Greeks and Etruscans were not left behind (Ambler, nd). The structures in the above named nations were appealing on the exterior but had limited interior space due to the mode of construction used. However, the Romans architects are the ones who came up with designs that still inspire architects in the modern world and were also an inspiration during the construction and development of medieval cities (Ambler, nd). The structures in Rome had ample interior space and were appealing on the outside, thus making them outstanding (Ambler, nd). The Rome idea and model also includes factors such as culture and Christianity under which medieval cities were developed. The aim of this article is to discuss the idea of Rome and how it was an inspiration in the development of other medieval cities.
The idea and model of Rome and how Medieval Cities developed from the same
It is important to look at the idea and model of Rome in order to better understand the inspiration drawn from the same in the development of other medieval cities. Rome was characterized by peace and prosperity, sponsorship of high cultural practices while still considering the needs of the vulnerable in the society and a legal system that ensured justice for all; such was the model of Rome which inspired the idea of Europe (Nicols, nd). The peace among the people of Rome ensured that people such as the architects worked together to come up with various structures. The characteristics of Rome were witnessed in the early Europe as well as the modern Europe. Most medieval cities in Europe were developed based on peace and the cultural practices that were adopted from the model of Rome. The cities that came up after the fall of the Roman Empire carried own with the rituals that were being practiced in Rome before the fall. When it comes to peace, Europe has enjoyed three decades of peace as a result of the founding fathers of Rome who ensured peace and tranquility (Nicols, nd).
As seen earlier, the idea and model of Rome revolved around many things such as building and construction, road networks, peace and prosperity, theaters (to ensure preservation of the Roman culture), legal system, national language and public works undertakings. All these led to the development of a collection of cities, giving rise to Rome. These cities developed as a result of urbanization and civilization which led to Romanization (Nicols, nd). Small cities developed to become the bigger city of Rome. To this day, the urban culture is evident throughout Europe and it hails from the Rome idea and model. The idea and model of Rome has influenced various cultures across the world. The Roman law was adopted by nations such as the United States (Houghton Mifflin Company, nd). The legal system has been identified as an outstanding factor of the Rome model. The Roman literature is also a characteristic that has lived on even after the fall of the Roman Empire as people read it to this day.
From the introduction, Rome was identified as the first to be in a position to construct structures that had ample space in the inside. The Roman developed a bigger and more prominent arch which was adopted during the construction of medieval cities (Houghton Mifflin Company, nd).Although the Romans were not the inventors of the arch, they were the first to build one which had extensive area in the interior. With time, other people adopted the idea of Rome and started constructing longer and stronger archs.
Building and construction was one part of the model of Rome. The Romans constructed monuments that are still mentioned in history today and they are an admiration to this day (Nicols,). Among the most significant item in the construction industry by the Romans was the arch. As seen earlier, the arch was never invented by the Romans, but they did improve the same to a point that it became emulated by other cities across Europe. The Romans constructed a larger arch than the ones that had previously been constructed by the likes of ancient Egyptians and Greeks (Houghton Mifflin Company, nd). The arch by Romans was constructed in such a way as to bear large amounts of force. The Romans used concrete to put up their buildings hence were able to build large buildings such as palaces and government premises (Houghton Mifflin Company, nd). The concrete was made from a mixture of lime and sand from volcanic eruptions. From this concrete, the Romans constructed aqueducts, hence were able to provide water to their cities (Houghton Mifflin Company, nd).
The aqueducts ensured that the Romans accessed clean water, thus maintaining sanitary conditions throughout Rome. The ready supply of water facilitated the construction of water baths which were used as a luxury (Ambler, nd). The latter was adopted by other medieval cities across Europe. The Byzantine architects (from Eastern Europe) and the Romanesque (from Western Europe) were the first to apply the Roman arch culture in the development of their cities (Houghton Mifflin Company, nd). It can be seen that Rome successfully provided a platform for the construction and development of medieval cities across Europe.
True urban planning started at the same time as true settlement of people in urban areas at around 3,000 B.C in places such as Egypt, Mesopotamia and Indus Valley (Ellis, nd). The urban centers were designed in such a way that the represented political, military as well as religious dominance. In other terms the cities were divided in two urban forms namely organic and planned (Ellis, nd). Those that fell under the planned form belonged to the elite in the society while those falling under the organic form were the residential areas which registered slow growth with irregular patterns. While other cities grew slowly and followed certain patterns, it was different for Rome. Romans architects and builders are known to have engaged in vigorous city-building activities; a characteristic putting Rome ahead of other cities and making it one to be emulated (Ellis, nd). Some of the settlements were experienced organic growth while others comprising of the most were well planned. In fact, some of the European cities such as London and Paris came up as a result of former Roman urban centers (Ellis, nd). In the illustration above, it can be seen that the model of Rome inspired the development of cities such as London and Paris.
‘Rome was not built in one day’; this saying is true as it took years to build the city of Rome. However, the time spent paid off as the planning and structures that were put up in Rome are still referred to in modern times. Apart from buildings, Romans specialized in the construction of road networks and other infrastructures that were on a different level from that of ancient cities in Egypt and Greece (Bee Breeders, nd). Rome as seen earlier was modeled using concrete and it is this aspect that led the Romans into constructing structures that were stronger than those constructed earlier by Egyptians and other ancient cities (Houghton Mifflin Company, nd). According to Bee Breeders (nd), Romans made use of concrete due to various reasons namely; concrete was stronger than any other materials at that time, concrete could be decorated with ease, many shapes could be made from concrete and since concrete was produced locally, it was cheap enough. Due to the many functions of concrete, the buildings in Rome were beautiful and of great designs. Many structures came up after the latter realization.
Romans were focused on an open plaza that was surrounded by prominent buildings (Ambler, nd). The open plaza was the heart of the city where major temples and shrines were situated. The law courts were also located within the plaza. Other important buildings that were within the plaza included among others the curia building which was used for council meetings (Ambler, nd). Magnificent structures such as the porticoes, colonnades and the fountains surrounded the fountain and they attracted travelers to the beautiful city of Rome (Ambler, nd).
Rome has a vast road network system. Rome was the first city to have a complicated road network system that was also widely spread; a network connecting the cities to the main capitol (Bee Breeders, nd). Romans could easily access different parts of the city of Rome and even conduct business. Romans constructed their roads by using a different system from the one that was used in other cities. Three levels of substructure were laid beneath the stones and the center of the road was inclined at an angle such that the rainwater could drain off (Danxner.com, nd). The Romans invented the use of signs on the road, some which could tell the distance between urban settlements. Road signs were used during the medieval period and they are still used in modern Europe. Bridges and aqueducts were also created, some of which inspired the construction of medieval cities across Europe and the world at large. The road networks constructed during the Roman era still existed in the medieval cities. Some of these roads included the Lutetia roads (Cardo maximus rue Saint-Jacques, the cardo Boulevard Saint-Michel and the cardo rue Valette) (Ellis, nd). The ideas of the Roman architects are still used by modern-day architects (Bee Breeders, nd).
Medieval cities developed after the fall of the Roman Empire. Roman and medieval cities were linked by among others bishops through the churches, monasteries, cathedrals and cloisters (Gutjahr, 1999). People who had been displaced during the dark days were attracted back to the fallen city by spiritual focal points (Gutjahr, 1999). The bishops had turned the centers in the old Roman cities into worship centers. Christians were attracted from various parts of Europe and they gradually came in large numbers to form large settlements which later turned into cities. Therefore, it can be said that the medieval cities started mushrooming from the old Roman cities. Were it not for premises such as the churches and cathedrals constructed by the Romans, Christians could not have moved back to the old settlements. These cathedrals and churches had initially been constructed within the plaza which was the heart of the city.
Medieval cities also developed as a result of the fortresses which had been constructed by the Romans before the fall (Gutjahr, 1999). These fortresses included castles, kings’ palaces and the princely courts. The kings and princes who reoccupied the fortresses surrounded themselves with churches which in turn attracted Christians back to the urban centers; thus the development of medieval cities (Gutjahr, 1999). The immigrants felt safe close to the fortresses, thus the development of settlement areas around the castles and palaces.
The historic towns which had stood during the Roman era were attracting people back to the urban centers. These immigrants were the ones who could eventually grow to be large numbers of people to become medieval cities. After the fall of the Roman Empire, not all residents left the cities and it is such people that revived the cities once more by attracting immigrants (Gutjahr, 1999). The buildings which had fallen during the war were also being revived and it is from such actions that medieval cities developed. Remember the Romans used to construct strong structures; some of which remained even after the fall of the Roman Empire. Some structures such as the amphitheatres, courts and the baths were being used as residential areas for settlement of people (Gutjahr, 1999). The latter led to the growth of new cities from the Roman ruins.
Medieval cities also developed as a result of people regrouping for economic purposes. People needed to continue developing economically and socially and therefore had to join together (Gutjahr, 1999). People had been scattered during the war and even though some feared the repeat of the same, they soldiered on to make their lives better. The peace that existed during the Roman Empire was extended to the medieval period. Although the regrouping was slow, eventually the cities were starting to form and people from different cities could link using the road network that still existed after the Dark Age.
Romans were good city planners and their plans are being used to this day. The Romans constructed extensively and the military and colonial towns were highly planned (Danxner.com, nd). The Romans architects ensured that their city plans allowed easy maneuverability and also laid focus on authenticity; whereby they came-up with plans in which the town would be appealing to the viewer. Walls were built around the city of Rome which ensured its occupants were safe (Ellis, nd). Most of the medieval cities that were constructed using the Rome model also had a wall around them. Cities such as Washington DC used some building plans from the Romans to put up their own buildings (Danxner.com, nd). Their plans were used during the construction of various medieval cities across Europe.
Conclusion
Rome is a city known for its dominance in architectural designs that have stood the test of time. Roman architects have been seen to be among the best in the world as their plans which were drawn decades ago are still in use in the modern world. Rome’s model and idea was used in the construction and development of other medieval cities across Europe as It has been discussed in this article. Romans invented the construction of arch using concrete, an act that remains outstanding to this day. Egyptians and other ancient cities used to build the arch but it was not as strong as compared to that constructed by the Romans. The Romans also constructed structures that were pleasing to the eye on the outside and had ample space in the interior. The road networks, underground piping and the aqueducts built by the Romans were of magnificent designs and were used to construct other medieval cities. Most medieval cities across Europe rose as a result of the ruins of the Roman Empire, whereby bishops, Kings and princes attracted people back to the ruined cities of Romans by use of the structures that had remained after the ruins. The latter led to the growth and development of medieval cities.
References
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