6 - Space Syntax a Ostia Antica: le Terme del Nuotatore, Insula V, x, e il Complesso delle Terme dei Sette Sapienti, Insula III, x. (Space Syntax Analysis in Ostia: the Baths of the Swimmer, Insula V, x, and the Complex of the Baths of the Seven Sages, Insula III, x)

Summary

English summary

The aim of this paper is to test the quality of the results obtained with the Space Syntax method in two different case studies in Ostia Antica.

Valeria Di Cola presents the Terme del Nuotatore, the full edition of which she published in 2013, and, together with Maura Medri, the stratigraphic study and the reconstruction of the phases. This building was already well known among those who deal with Roman ceramics for the large amount of materials coming from it published by Andrea Carandini's research group following the excavations of 1960- 1970. All this constituted a very rich base of detailed information that allowed us to test the effectiveness of the analysis by Space Syntax through all the phases of the Baths, from the original project of the Flavian age until their abandonment, which took place in the mid-third century AD. The architectural representation used in this case is that provided by the reconstructive plans, elaborated on the basis of the stratigraphic data coming from the excavations and from the standing structures.

Giorgia Pasquali presents the Insula X of Regio III which contains the Caseggiato del Serapide, that of the Aurighi and the Baths of the Sette Sapienti, with annex Building III, xiv, 1, which probably formed a single complex together with the others, and the relationship between the general road network of Ostia and that of Regio III. In this case, the basis is the traditional one of the plan published by Gismondi in the General Topography, which, however, was integrated, only for the analysis of the road network, with the data acquired through the magnetometric prospections by the team of the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Rom and by the American Academy of Rome.

These two case studies have yielded good results and constitute an excellent starting point for future investigations that it would be interesting to extend to larger portions of the Ostian settlement.