Forms of collective housing for artisans and tradesmen in Lyon and Vienne

Like the domus, the craftsmen and merchants buildings are representative of the dwelling modes in a city. Lyons (Verbe Incarne) and Vienne (Saint-Romain-en-Gal) provide numerous examples. The dwelling may be situated upstairs from workshops or shops laid side by side along a street or around a yard. One reaches them thanks to one or more staircases. Inside two Lyons buildings, two adjoining dwelling units can be found of the ground floor, behind tabernae. With a top floor and a dug-out basement, one of these buildings must have featured three levels. In Lyons, these buildings belong to little landlords. The erection of a top floor makes up for the lack of space at the center of the colony, that is felt as early as the Tiberius period. In Saint-Roman-en-Gal, the spaces dedicated to economic activity are often gathered within vast constructions (warehouses, "industrial complexes") belonging to the owners of the rich adjoining domus.