Insula of the phallic vase

The insula of the phallic vase is one of the most typical examples of the domestic buildings that were probably the most common in the Roman city. The insula is divided into five large residential units to which are attached shops containing one or two rooms, one of them being interior. These shops opened to the street through a large door (that in some cases was later made narrower) and must have had considerable headroom in order to be able to have a high area reserved for a warehouse built of wood, such as some examples in the city of Rome itself. The interior of the residences located here mixed housing, manufacturing and other activities, as shown by the room with a tub whose door opens to the atrium of the house, which was perhaps the main work room of a laundry (fullonica).