Abstract:

The following article analyses the evolution and characteristics of houses excavated in Barcelona that date from the time of the city’s foundation to late antiquity. One of the most notable characteristics of residential architecture in Barcino is that the construction of these buildings began in the time of Augustus, a fact directly related to the types of houses to be found in Barcelona, which are unlike those built during Augustus’s rule in other Roman cities with an older urban past. Another striking feature of the Roman houses in Barcino is the wealth and luxury amassed within their walls: almost all the remains found can be identified as homes belonging to affluent residents. Both these factors, but particularly the second, not only contribute to our reflections on the kind of house found in the Roman city, but also help us to interpret the type and function of the city where these residential remains are located.