Ancient roman architecture is still one of the most authoritative and innovative areas of design. More than two thousand years ago we can still see some of the most beautiful architecture standing today testifying to the engineering intellegince of the ancient Romans. Stone and metal artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum have served inspiration through the 18th century which is still used today in design. Roman ceilings were vaulted and painted in brilliant colors, or they were divided into panels by beams. Doors were richly paneled and carved, or plated with bronze, or made of solid bronze. Doorposts were sheathed with beautifully carved marble.
The Romans were influenced by the Greek culture and owe a lot of their wealth of knowledge to the Etruscans who provided functional architectural solutions, such as the construction of arches which supplied water to their many cities. As the Roman empire expanded, fresh water became a necessity as citizens became very sick drinking contaminated water. Local governements decided to construct long stone channels which would carry fresh water from nearby hills to the towns. Aqueducts were built on high arches as well as along the ground in stone channels, or even under the ground in tunnels. Some of the larger Roman cities had 10 or more. This innovative idea was quite challenging to build as the engineering had a number of factors to get just right for the aqueducts to function correctly. One consideration was to get the water running, rather than pooling in one area. A precise slope was to be factored in so the water wouldn't flow into the city to fast. Looking at the marvelous high arched architectural Roman aqueducts can make any person pause at the beauty of such innovative design.
A painting shows the complex interlinking system of ancient Roman Aqueducts