Florida Villas

What is a Florida villa?

A villa was originally a Roman upper-class rural home. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it came to mean a small, fortified farming compound.

The more usual plan for a villa extended wings of rooms all opening onto a linking portico, even to enclose a courtyard. The term gradually re-evolved through medieval times into meaning luxurious, upper-class country homes. In the early 18th century the English took up the term. Thanks to the revival of interest in architects Palladio and Inigo Jones, soon villas dotted the River Thames valley.

In modern vernacular it can refer to a type of detached dwelling. In the 19th century, villa came to mean any suburban house that was free-standing, as opposed to a 'terrace' of joined houses. The suburban "villa" became a "bungalow" after World War I Britain, and the term is used for suburban bungalows in both Australia and New Zealand, especially those dating from the period of rapid suburban development between 1920 and 1950. The villa concept lives on in southern Europe, where villas are associated with upper-class social position and lifestyle.

When most British holiday makers see the word villa, they think of a luxurious, modern and well equipped home, usually in a warm climate such as that in Florida or Spain. If it is a Florida villa they would expect a home with a swimming pool and air conditioning, but if it has extras such as games rooms, plasma TVs, WII game players, then that is even better. A villa is something that should be well equipped and most importantly clean. If it is a Gulf Coast home then we would expect it to be near the beach. If it is a Disney home then it should be within 20 minutes travelling time of the amusement parks.

Roman writers refer to the self-sufficiency of their villas, where they drank their own wine and pressed their own oil. While such primary industry skills aren't required of modern holiday makers, a holiday Florida villa should have "all mod cons" so that the tenants can entertain and cook for themselves if they wish.