Gazebos in Greece and Rome
Greeks were unlike other cultures in that they did not own private gardens to display their wealth; instead all their gardens were public spaces. Gardens were built around temples and gazebos were built, usually out of marble, in a smaller design of the main temple in dedication to the god or goddess. The gazebo and the garden were regarded as the same space as the temple and therefore sacred.
The Romans, on the other hand, all owned private gardens, a place of relaxation and refuge, to escape from the fast pace of urban life. Archaeological remains in Pompeii have revealed that all citizens had a private garden used to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables. Gardens and gazebos were not only the domain of the wealthy.
It has been suggested that the word gazebo has a Latin origin. It first appeared in England in the middle of the 18th century is a combination of two words: the English word gaze and the Latin word ebo, meaning I shall. Gazebo therefore means I shall gaze.
Roman gardens were influenced by the style and design of the Egyptians, Persians and Greeks and their gazebos, like the Greeks, were constructed of marble and resembled small temples. Gazebos became focal points in public spaces and private gardens.
As the Empire grew and Romans became more affluent, it became fashionable to own a summer residence on the Mediterranean coast. Thousands of summerhouses were built each with its own garden gazebo.
