Compluvium vs. Impluvium — What's the Difference?

(architecture) A space left unroofed over the court of a dwelling in Ancient Rome, through which the rain fell into the impluvium or cistern.

The impluvium is the sunken part of the atrium in a Greek or Roman house (domus). Designed to carry away the rainwater coming through the compluvium of the roof, it is usually made of marble and placed about 30 cm below the floor of the atrium and emptied into a subfloor cistern.

A space left unroofed over the court of a Roman dwelling, through which the rain fell into the impluvium or cistern.

(architecture) A low basin in the center of a household atrium, into which rainwater flowed down from the roof through the compluvium.

In Roman dwellings, a cistern or tank, set in the atrium or peristyle to recieve the water from the roof, by means of the compluvium; generally made ornamental with flowers and works of art around its birm.