The Porticus Pompeiana: Rome's First Public Park

Public parks in Rome became common over time, but the premiere of such a space was under Pompey the Great. Adjacent to the Pompey Theatre on the Campus Martius, he built a long, walled porticus open to the sky, filled with pools, fountains and plants of all sorts. Built on public lands for public use between 61 and 55 BCE, the Porticus Pompeiana was the first of its kind, unique in the city of Rome. Pompey intended it to be a space for the people to walk, relax, or enjoy leisure activities. It served an additional purpose as a display for the spoils of plunder and conquest by housing foreign species of plants, great and expensive sculptures, and opulent decor.

(1) Drawing of the Porticus Pompeiana based on 

the Marble rendering by Septimus Severus

In the early 3rd century CE, Septimus Severus had a plan of Rome created in marble to document the grand city. This is one of the main sources of evidence for the Porticus Pompeiana and provides the layout of the structure, which cannot be otherwise obtained as the ruins are buried under an active neighbourhood and cannot be excavated or accessed. This, along with the writings of poets and historians, provides a detailed picture of what Rome's first public park looked like. However, with over two centuries between the construction of the park and the creation of the marble plan, the garden is certain to have changed considerably without documentation.

(2) Rendering of the Pompey Theatre and attached Porticus,

shown without trees

With the attached theatre, the garden became a popular place to stroll between acts and performances and was primarily visited by the wealthy and influential. A double grove of trees lined the hall, and an empty space ran between them, along the centre axis of the porticus. Without excavation, it is unclear what this space was. There are two primary theories. One, it housed a long, shallow pool. Two, it was simply a walkway, a path for viewing the garden and strolling. Beyond the trees, garden plots housed plants, separated by works of art and water features.

(3) Diagram showing the location of the Pompeiana complex on the Campus Marius

In the late 3rd century, a great fire ravaged the city and in particular the Campus Martius, dividing the porticus and destroying the now defunct theatre. There seem to be no restoration efforts of the Porticus Pompeiana after this time, and the land was used for other purposes. The first public park of Rome faded away, in both time and space.




Works Cited:
Gleason, Kathryn L. "The Garden Portico of Pompey the Great." Expedition 32, no. 2 (January 1, 1990): 4-13. Periodicals Archive Online.

Gleason, Kathryn L. "Porticus Pompeiana: A New Perspective on the First Public Park of Ancient Rome." Journal of Garden History 14, no. 1 (1994): 13-27. doi:10.1080/01445170.1994.10412494.

Image Sources:
(1) http://www.quondam.com/28/2892.htm
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_Pompey
(3) Kathryn Gleason, "The Garden Portico of Pompey the Great", page 17.