Aree aperte e concezione dello spazio a Roma

This essay explores the ritual dimension of public space in ancient Rome. It acknowledges that the organisation of space in general is a mental perception that can only be understood if contextualized in its specific historic setting. In the case of ancient Rome, ritual constitutes an obligatory starting point for such a contextual analysis; from ancient times onwards the city of Rome was collectively conceptualized as a ritual space, with the augurs playing a central role in its interpretation. From this perspective, the aim of the author is to explain why public space in imperial Rome is rarely open, being most often encapsulated within monumental porticoes and other kind of enclosures. The central argument reasons that these spaces were rigorously functional in nature (political-administrative, economic or commercial), and, therefore, needed to be sacralised and religiously delineated.