Data available on the household doors and windows of S. Eulalia can be partly deduced from studying structures found at the site, partly from the archaeological evidence brought to light in different contexts, also not on the island (figs. 1-2).

Fig. 1 - Herculaneum: wooden door with two leaves (from Adam 1989, p. 321, fig. 674).

Fig. 2 - Herculaneum: window closed by iron grid (from Adam 1989, p. 331, fig. 701).

The fact that there were doors is guaranteed by the presence of thresholds and jambs, showing holes used for hinges (fig. 3). Moreover, the width of the opening allows us to assume they were double doors in perishable material.

Fig. 3 - Jamb with hole for connecting element of the door in the home to the S-E (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).

The finishes on doors and windows must have been metal: four lock elements were found. We can only assume the presence of windows as they were usually found on the upper floor which has collapsed. Besides these openings, light penetrated the house through inner courtyards.

When the sunrays were not enough, people resorted to the artificial light of oil lamps. Windows could differ based on social level: for buildings used by the wealthy class, openings could be screened by small, thick sheets of rough, opaque glass, mounted on bronze frames (also found in Pompeii and Herculaneum) while in poorer homes, wooden frames held membranes or animal skins reduced to parchment or were simply closed by white sheets impregnated with fat.

The Sant’Eulalia context revealed a fairly high housing level, given the presence of comforts (such as latrines, private wells, courtyards, etc.) so were probably medium-high level situations.

The total lack of window elements could be due to the perishable material used: when it declined the area was systematically stripped, which even involved the limestone building material and the metal elements.