Fishbourne Roman Palace
A Palatial Roman-British Villa
Situated on a river inlet near Chichester in Sussex, Fishbourne Roman Palace was discovered accidentally during the digging of a water trench in 1961.Excavated by Barry Cunliffe, it was discovered that the site had been a military depot for the invading Roman forces. Before that the site of a Celtic Oppidia.
The feature that makes the site famous is the palatial roman villa that sprang up on the site in sound 60 AD. Laid out in four wings around a courtyard garden, it is one of the most magnificent villas in Roman Britain. Originally the home of either a Roman official or a highly cultured Romano British ruler.
King Cogidubnus’s Palace
Construction on the palace began around 60 AD. A stone villa was built first, comprising a bathhouse, colonnade and servants quarters. In 75AD, this structure was enlarged and aggrandized into a Mediterranean style courtyard palace that covered 4 hectares.
The palace was set out in four wings arranged around a central courtyard garden. The northern wing contained the guest quarters. To the west, built on a platform 1.5 m higher than the rest of the palace were the public audience chambers and reception rooms. To the east was the main entrance of the palace and the servants quarters with the southern wing of the palace reserved for the main living quarters. It was in this wing that the only feature of the original villa remained: the bath house, which was close to the river.
Fishbourne was slightly altered in the 2nd century AD before its destruction by fire in the following century.
The original owner of the palace was believed to be King Cogidubnus a client king who ruled on behalf of Rome. It may however have been a Roman official. Whoever the owner was, his decor and ornamentation displayed good taste on par with fashionable circles in Rome.
Roman Mosaics, Frescos and Statues at Fishbourne
Fishbourne was decorated and furnished in what were the latest Italian styles, as indicated by the fragments of wall paint and mosaic found on the site. It statues were imported and its 1st century AD frescos bear a resemblance to the styles current in Stabiae before its destruction in 79AD.
The mosaic floors were elegant and would not have been out of place in fashionable Rome. Initial styles were of smart black and white geometrical patterns although later owners added more complex mythological scenes
It seems that many of the craftsmen, like the materials ornamenting the palace were brought over from Italy. Chips of marble and imported stone from Italy and Greece have been found, indicating that the craftsmen of some skill and flair were actually working on the site.
The Gardens of Fishbourne Palace
Fishbourne’s gardens were equally impressive, covering an area of 90m by 70m. The Italian styled area was divided into two bordered lawns, divided by a 12m wide gravel walkway which connected the entrance of the palace with the reception areas. Pathways also skirted the perimeter of the gardens.
Around the edges of the lawns were loam and chalk filled trenches filled with plants such as roses, flowering trees, box hedges, rosemary, lilies and hyssop.
Post holes in the eastern part of the gardens indicate the presence of trellising, probably for climbing plants such as roses. A system of water pipes discovered underground also indicates that fountains were placed at intervals along the paths. The classical look of the garden was completed with marble and bronze statues.
Sources
Illustrated Dictionary of Archaeology
Roman Britain (1995) Martin Millett (1995).English Heritage: London
Cambridge Latin Course Book II (2002) Cambridge University Press.
roman style Classical Statue
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