Regio IX occupies the central part of Pompeii. The district is
bordered in the north by Via di Nola, to the west by Via Stabiana,
and on the south by delle Abbondanza. Most of the area remains
buried. Regio consists of 14 Insulas. Of these, the Insula 1, 3, 5,
7, 8, 12, 13, and 14 contain buildings that are discussed in more
detail here. The area is a combination of residential and commercial
premises, with shops along the street while the houses occupy the
inner parts of the neighborhoods.
Undoubtedly in this
quarter, the riches are rich and many beautiful mansions remain
here. However, it should be noted separately House K. Julius
Polybius. It recreated furniture according to the remains that were
found here during the excavations. In addition, many household items
were also left in place. This makes the house lively and very
interesting. All the other private houses of Pompeii are certainly
beautiful, but they do not have that feeling of life and life. It
seems the owners came out for a second and now come back. In
addition, six skeletons were found here and apparently one of them
(a man of 60- 64 years old) and was Julius Polybius himself.
Insula 1
House of Paccius Alexander (7) - It is a small house of just
under two hundred square meters: the atrium has in a wall
remains of the decorations with three niches, one of which
is decorated with a shell , used as a lararium ; among the
best preserved areas is the triclinium , with frescoes in
the fourth style , including a woman with a peacock and a
man with the same animal, while others have been detached
and kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
House of M. Epidio Rufo (20) - It is characterized by a
large door and a Corinthian atrium with sixteen columns,
four and a half meters high. Noteworthy is the lararium,
with a dedication to the master and the lares of the house
and the traces of paintings on the tablinum, with subjects
of stylized plants and fantastic architecture, as well as a
scene of Marsyas who challenges Apollo to play the tibia.
House of Sodom and Gomorrah (26) - It was excavated in 1858
and later in 1869 and is so called because both in the
triclinium and in the cubicle a graffiti was found that
referred to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The house is a
little over one hundred and thirty square meters, has six
rooms and a central atrium.
Insula 2
House of the Fountain of Love (2) - It was explored in 1851
and the entrance is preceded by a shop: the house is of
modest size and consists of a cubicle, a triclinium, which
has remnants of wall decorations and a small garden, in
which is a fountain, frescoed originally with a nymph who
had a fountain-shaped crater in her hands from which water
came out.
House of Chlorus and Caprasia (10) - Also
called Casa del Gallo II in triclinio the most imported
environment found: it is characterized by a ceiling in time
and preserves its frescoes and along the walls and in the
roof; even a cubicle near the peristyle has remains of wall
decorations, but ruined by time: especially in the central
scene of a panel Galatea and Polyphemus had to be depicted ;
the house also had an upper floor.
Home of Titus
Dentatius Panthera (16) - Also called Casa di Bellerofonte
or Casa della Principessa Margherita still shows remains of
frescoes on the entrance façade, as well as in the atrium
where Bellerofonte was painted, then detached to be
preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples:
the house also had in some environments a floor in
cocciopesto and in others a mosaic, while among the other
frescoes found a painting depicting the three Graces.
Home of Q. Brittius Balbus (17) - After a short entrance
corridor, it has an atrium, around which there are several
rooms including cubicles with remains of the stucco and
plaster decoration: in the same room there is also a hearth
and several niches used as larars; in the area of the
garden there are the triclinium and an exedra, while of the
peristyle only two columns remain with sparse stucco
decorations, as well as a puteal.
House of Curvius
Marcellus and Fabia (18) - It features an atrium with
impluvium in marble and walls, as well as those of the
cubicles and the triclinium, with the remains of pictorial
decorations in yellow, red and black; past the tablinum, one
enters the garden with the remains of the bases of the
columns and of a lararium, while in the kitchen one can
observe the hearth and a latrine.
House of M. Casellius
Marcellus (26) - It was excavated in 1869 : the atrium has a
characteristic niche-supported lararium supported by a high
red-painted podium , on which two yellow snakes can be seen,
although faded ; then follows the tablinum and the garden.
House of the Wedding of Neptune and Amphitrite (27) - Also
called House of princess Margherita or House of Great
Toscana it was explored in 1849 and 1869 : in the rooms of
the house you can still see remains of the wall decoration,
even if the main finds, represented by mosaics, have been
detached and preserved in the archaeological museum of
Naples, such as the representation of Neptune and Amphitrite
and a depiction of fish and ducks.
Insula 3
House of Marcus Lucretius (5) - It belonged to a city decurion , and a priest of Mars ; it presents an atrium with lararium, a tablinum and a hanging garden enriched with marble statues : A staircase led to the upper floor, while decorations, partly detached and preserved the archaeological museum of Naples , remain small squares with mythological subjects and fantastic architecture, typical of the fourth style , like the triumph of Bacchus.
House of Philocalus (15) - It had a painting of Mercury and
Minerva on the facade, while in the entrance corridor was
placed the staircase that led to the upper floor: the atrium
has impluvium and puteal and around rooms with traces of
wall decorations including the representation of Isis with a
cornucopia and at its feet a globe , preserved in the
national archaeological museum, the garden has a colonnade
on three sides and a lararium.
House of L. Clodius Varus
and Pelagia (25) - It was explored in 1871 and measures just
over a hundred square meters with only five rooms: in one of
them a graffiti was found, placed in the area where there
was to be a bed , with the two names by which the house is
nicknamed and probably referred to the two spouses who lived
there.
Insula 5
House of Jason (18)
Achilles House (2) - Also called House of the Skeleton or
House of Stronnius, it was excavated in 1877 and has remains
of paintings, both along the walls and reduced to squares to
be exhibited at the Neapolitan archaeological museum: in the
cubicles around the atrium, Arianna , Dioniso and a Silenus
and Venus with a ram , while in a room near the garden, in a
panel, is the depiction of Hephaestus carrying the armor to
Achilles.
House of the Pygmies (9) - It is so called
because in a room there is a fresco depicting scenes of
daily life of pygmies along the course of the Nile river :
towers , temples and various animals are also observed ,
among which a hippopotamus ; the house has the classic
layout of Roman houses , with atrium, tablinum and
peristyle.
Insula 6
House of PFL (3) - It is so called
because inside it was found a ring that had engraved these
letters: it is composed of an atrium with scarce remains of
the impluvium , on which several rooms open; then follows
the tablinum and the garden where there is a tank and on
which the triclinium opens: there are few wall decorations,
while the cocciopesto flooring with white tesserae in the
vestibule area has been lost.
Piramus House (4) - It was
explored in 1878 but was later heavily bombed in 1943
causing the destruction of the atrium and four rooms: the
best preserved part is that of the garden, with surviving
remains of columns, in which a lararium was opened.
House
of Oppius Gratus (5) - It was under renovation at the time
of ' eruption of Vesuvius in 79 as most of the walls were in
a raw state and were also found many tools used for
renovation it is arranged around the atrium with impluvium
in tuff , then follows the tablinum, the garden with remains
of the peristyle and the triclinium, inside which jewels ,
coins and three bronze statuettes of divinities were found.
House of the Lararium of Venus (8) - Partly still to be
excavated, it has an irregular layout with eight rooms that
open around the atrium, which also leads directly to the
garden, where the lararium that gives the house its name is
located: the interior of the niche is covered in yellow
stucco and at the center a tree with birds was drawn , at
the base was a statue adorned with a mask , while in the
area of the tympanum traces of stucco decorations.
House of Dido and Aeneas (D) - It was investigated in 1868
and in 1879, returning numerous frescoes, some of which were
lost, others preserved in the National Archaeological Museum
of Naples: on one wall of the entrance corridor was the
representation of Arianna abandoned by Theseus , on the wall
of the triclinium a fragment of fresco of Dido and Aeneas ,
which gives the house its name, and mermaids ; in other
environments then, the painting of Polyphemus and that of
Daedalus and Icarus.
House of C. Cornelius (G) - It has
not yet been fully explored: the first investigations began
in 1878 ; of the house is visible the atrium, the tablinum
and the garden, even if part of his peristyle, together with
four rooms were destroyed during the second world war :
among the main decorations found, but then lost, a fresco of
a medallion with the head of Venus and a lararium supported
by columns.
House of Clodius Attalus (G) - It was
partially excavated and then buried again: it was called in
this way because an electoral inscription was found on its
façade with the name Clodius Attalus.
Insula 7
House of Fortuna (20)
Taberna of the Four Divinities (1) - Also known as the House
of Venus and the Four Gods, it is a partially excavated
house that still has some well-preserved remains of frescoes
on its façade: you can see a scene of the procession in
honor of Cybele , Diana , Mercury, Jupiter , Apollo, Venus
Pompeiana and the bust of Dionysus in a niche.
House of
the Pompeian Sittii (3) - Also called P. House Sittius
Coniunctus was partially explored in 1912 : you only notice
the entrance between two pilasters with capitals in
Corinthian order , while electoral inscriptions on the
facade have been lost.
Verecundus house (6) - It was
partially excavated in 1912 and it is possible to observe
only the external façade where a fresco depicting Venus
pulled by horses and in the lower compartment the type of
work, the production of cloth , which was carried out in the
adjoining workshop, is preserved.
Mountain Populous House
(9) - It has been partially explored in 1912 : only is
visible in the facade, where it was possible to obtain casts
in plaster of the doors of the door entrance; at the time of
the excavation several electoral recommendations were
painted on the wall.
House of A. Virnius Modestus (16) -
Also known as the House of the Trojan Horse, it is excavated
exclusively in the atrium part: however, several wall
decorations have been found, some still visible, especially
in the plinth, others detached to be preserved in the
National Archaeological Museum of Naples, such as the
depiction of the entrance of the Trojan horse.
Mirror
House (19) - It is so called because of the discovery of a
piece of glass in one of its rooms: over one hundred and
fifty square meters wide and divided into more than ten
rooms, inside there are remains of colored plaster on the
walls, many of which have been lost, such as the fresco of a
peacock and Diana with the head crowned with leaves : most
of the paintings were in third style.
Insula 8
Epicurean philosophical school (2) - In addition to several
electoral inscriptions found at the time of the excavation on the
outer wall, inside there are traces of wall decorations in white and
red, among which there is a well preserved depiction of a sacred
landscape, then detached, and several graffiti.
Primigenia house
(8) - Partially excavated, it featured electoral inscriptions on the
outer walls, while inside it was found a lararium decorated with
horns and a garland and a fresco depicting Theseus leaving Arianna
on the island of Naxos.
Hospitium of C. Hyginius Firmus (B) - So
called because of a graffiti found on a wall, it covers an area of
about one hundred and sixty square meters: it is divided into nine
rooms and has traces of frescoes on the walls.
Insula 9
House of Sulpicius Rufus (C) - Also called House of Porcellino takes its name from both a fresco of the kitchen depicting a pig and from a seal found near the entrance bearing the name of Sulpicius Rufus: the house preserves many remains of frescoes in different environments both in third and in fourth style, as for example in the cubicles around the atrium, where the almost completely intact decorative panels are observed either in the triclinium or in the kitchen.
House of Vinaio (6) - It was used both as a shop and as a
dwelling and was excavated in 1887 : the house has an irregular
layout with a small atrium with a cubicle, the tablinum and the
garden with a small niche lararium, originally stuccoed in white.
House of P. Aemili Celeris (G) - It owes its name to several
graffiti found several times on the main façade : it is a small
house of just sixty-five square meters, divided into four rooms;
inside there are meager remains of the wall decoration, especially
in the triclinium area, while the frescoed lararium , placed in the
kitchen, has been lost.
Insula 11
House of Cn. Audius Bassus (1) - It has
not yet been excavated, except the façade in 1911 , which restored
the remains of a fresco depicting a procession to a sanctuary ; in
addition to the entrance there were graffiti, lost.
House of
Cornelius Maximus (7) - It has not yet been fully explored and only
the part of the facade is visible, which presents some electoral
inscriptions and two paintings depicting Hercules and Minerva , the
latter however lost.
Insula 12
House of the Chaste Lovers (6)
House of the Painters at Work (9)
House of Cenacolo Colonnato I (1) - It is a still partially
excavated house, of which only the façade is visible, which has the
particularity of having a second floor realized through the use of
columns; a large amphora was also found near the house.
House of
Cenacolo Colonnato II (4) - It was partially explored in 1912 and
then damaged by a bombing in 1943 : the house has a two-storey
façade, with the second supported by columns, while inside, in the
few rooms brought to light, remains of pictorial decorations.
Insula 13
Giulio Polibio's house (3) - It consists
of an atrium with decorations in the first style , a service area
with a kitchen and painted lararium , a peristyle with frescoes in
the third style , in which the casts of wardrobes and doors and a
triclinium were obtained , depicting Amphion and Zetus to Dirce :
the same environment was also found a statue of Apollo in bronze.
House of M. Fabius Ululitremulus (5) - It was partially excavated in
1913 and in 1970 and only the façade on which there are some
graffiti is visible, while at the time of the excavation there were
also some frescoes such as the one depicting Romulus and Aeneas with
his father Anchises.
Insula 14
House of M. Obellius Firmus (4) It dates back to the Samnite period: consisting of two entrances, it has a second floor through which it was accessed with three staircases. Most of the decoration of the environments, such as the oecus, the tablinum and the atrium are in second style and worthy of note are a medallion with the depiction of Obelio son and of his wife and the scene of a banquet ; the house also has a garden.