Villa Montmaurin is one of the largest known villas in France, with a surviving archaeological site of over one and a half hectares. Built in the 2nd century in the traditional layout of an ancient Roman villa, this luxurious aristocratic mansion has nearly 150 rooms and several areas with low-temperature underground heating systems.
Spatial syntax allows for the calculation and construction of spatial configurations of environments and their comparison with socio-economic values, analysing architectural spatial characteristics not only from a macro perspective but also from a micro perspective. In this paper, spatial syntax is used to discuss the topological relationships between private and public areas of villas, such as accessibility to primary and secondary rooms, visibility of doors and windows, density of entrances and exits, and building structure.
The application of spatial analysis tools to archaeological sites has helped to improve our static understanding of the Roman Villa Montmaurin and provided dynamic analysis techniques that incorporate archaeological experience. Through computer software modelling and analysis, new interpretations of the architectural structure, aristocratic lifestyle, and social ideology of the time can be made.