• Home
• Europe
• Italy
• Pompeii
• Regio VII

House of the Wild Boar, Pompeii

Address: Regio VIII, Insula 3
Area: 454 square meters
Rooms: 17

The House of the Wild Boar (Italian: Casa del Cinghiale I, or regio VIII, insula 3, entrance 8) is one of Pompeii’s notable residential domus (single-family homes), located directly on the bustling Via dell’Abbondanza (the city’s main commercial street, also called Strada dell’Abbondanza). It takes its modern name from a refined black-and-white floor mosaic in the entrance corridor (fauces) showing a wild boar (cinghiale) being attacked by two dogs—an apotropaic (evil-warding) motif common in Pompeian homes, believed to protect the household from malevolent spirits or unwanted visitors.
The house was buried under volcanic ash and pumice during the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and lay hidden for centuries until its gradual rediscovery in the early 19th century. It offers a vivid window into upper-middle-class Roman domestic life, status display, political engagement, and artistic tastes in the late Republic to early Imperial period.

History

Construction and Architectural Evolution (c. 2nd century BCE–79 CE)
Like many Pompeian homes, the House of the Wild Boar originated in the Samnite period (roughly 2nd century BCE), when Pompeii was still under Oscan-influenced rule before full Roman colonization. The core layout followed the classic Italic domus plan: a narrow entrance corridor leading to a central atrium (courtyard), flanked by alae (side rooms), with a tablinum (formal reception room) opening onto a peristyle garden at the rear. This axial design deliberately impressed visitors, showcasing the owner’s wealth and social standing as soon as they stepped inside.
The original Samnite-era structure used local tuff and other materials typical of the period. Over time—especially after the devastating earthquake of 62 CE—the house underwent significant remodeling. The final phase featured Fourth-Style frescoes (a decorative style popular in the last decades before the eruption, characterized by elaborate architectural illusions, mythological scenes, and vibrant colors). These were likely completed in the years immediately preceding 79 CE.
A distinctive later addition was a large exedra (semicircular recess) in the garden, which deliberately copied—on a smaller, more intimate scale—the famous Alexander exedra from the nearby House of the Faun (one of Pompeii’s grandest residences, dating to c. 180 BCE). This architectural homage suggests the owners were culturally ambitious and aware of elite trends.

Key Features and Decorations
Entrance and Fauces Mosaic: The threshold mosaic of the wild boar and dogs is the house’s signature element. It is finely executed in black-and-white tesserae and sits at the northern end of the corridor, greeting (and symbolically guarding) entrants.
Atrium: The floor features an elaborate black-and-white “carpet” mosaic (imperial-era style) bordered by a unique and rare motif of fortified city walls complete with gates and castellated towers. The impluvium (central rainwater basin) was surrounded by this decorative border, creating an impressive geometric and symbolic effect.
Alae and Tablinum: The side rooms (alae) and tablinum had geometric black-and-white mosaics (hexagons, rectangles, octagons, meanders, and wolf-tooth borders). The tablinum was fully open to the atrium and peristyle, maximizing light and grandeur. Its east wall originally featured a now-lost central fresco of Mars and Venus (known today only from 19th-century drawings preserved in the Naples Archaeological Museum). Other Fourth-Style elements included red socles, yellow panels, sky-blue “tapestry-like” sections, Nile landscapes, cherub hunters, and a large wild-hunt scene painted on the garden’s back wall—evoking the aristocratic pastime of hunting in suburban villas.
Garden and Peristyle: The rear garden was spacious, with the exedra providing a focal point for entertaining or contemplation. Frescoes here reinforced themes of nature, hunting, and exotic landscapes.

Additional rooms included an oecus (dining/reception room) with an ancient limestone-tile floor edged in white mosaic, indicating multiple building phases.

Ownership and Inhabitants
No single owner is definitively proven, but several clues point to a politically active, well-to-do family. Electoral graffiti (programmata) painted on the façade recommended candidates such as (L.) Coelius Caldus and others, leading scholar Matteo Della Corte to propose it belonged to the Coelius (or Coeli) family. Bronze seals found during excavation bore the names Q(uintus) Dellius Amicus and C(aius) Iulius Suavis; these may have belonged to residents, visitors, or business associates.
The house’s size, high-quality mosaics, and strategic location on the main street indicate prosperous owners—likely merchants or local elites engaged in Pompeii’s vibrant civic life. The political inscriptions on the exterior show the façade was used for public campaigning, typical of Roman urban houses.

Excavation and Modern History
Excavation occurred piecemeal under the Bourbon kings of Naples: primarily in 1819, with additional work in 1826 and 1837 (some records suggest possible earlier probes around 1809 or 1838–1840, though there is scholarly debate about exact dates and possible confusion with nearby houses). Artifacts, including the seals, were removed to the Naples museum, while many mosaics and fresco fragments remain in situ or were documented in contemporary drawings by artists like Nicola La Volpe and Giuseppe Abbate.
After excavation, the house was partially reburied or left exposed, suffering from weathering. It underwent modern conservation and was reopened to the public in 2016 as part of ongoing efforts to restore and protect Pompeii’s Regio VIII houses. Today it remains one of the better-preserved examples of a mid-sized domus with intact floor mosaics, offering visitors insight into Roman daily life, art, and architecture.

Architecture

Entrance and Fauces (Entrance Corridor)
The street façade features a doorway framed by pilasters, with ancient electoral graffiti (e.g., CIL IV 707, 708, 720) recommending candidates. A long, narrow fauces runs southward from the street into the atrium. Its floor is dominated by a detailed black-and-white mosaic showing the wild boar hunt scene (the boar wounded and pursued by dogs), set within geometric borders of meanders, stars, and patterns. This mosaic not only names the house but also serves as an eye-catching threshold that impresses visitors while providing a symbolic protective function.

Tuscan Atrium
The atrium is Tuscan in style (roof supported directly by walls without internal columns, allowing for a simpler, more enclosed space). At its center sits a marble impluvium (shallow basin) that collected rainwater from the compluvium (opening in the roof) and directed it to a cistern below. The floor features an elaborate “carpet-style” mosaic with a central geometric pattern surrounded by a unique border motif: a fortified city wall complete with gates, crenellated towers, and defensive architecture—an unusual decorative choice that may evoke status or protection.
Flanking the atrium are two alae (open side rooms used for storage, display of ancestral masks, or additional reception space):

West ala: Black-and-white geometric mosaic of hexagons and rectangles, bordered by black squares; separated from the atrium by a threshold with a double-T meander pattern.
East ala: Similar carpet-style mosaic with octagons and a “wolves’ teeth” (denti di lupo) border; its threshold shows opposing shields (peltae contrapposte).

An oecus (larger reception or dining room) adjoins the west ala/atrium area, paved with diamond-shaped limestone tiles edged in white mosaic. Cubicula (bedrooms) and service areas likely opened off the sides, though many are now fragmentary.

Tablinum
Positioned directly south of the atrium and fully open to it (no doors, emphasizing visibility and flow), the tablinum served as the formal office or reception space for the paterfamilias. It also opens southward to the peristyle, creating a dramatic visual axis through the entire house. Its floor is a black-and-white geometric “carpet” of squares and rectangles, with a plant-motif threshold (acanthus leaves and tendrils) leading to the atrium. Wall decoration included a now-lost fresco of Mars and Venus on the east wall (recorded in 19th-century drawings), set above a red zoccolo (base) and yellow middle zone with paneling—typical of refined domestic painting. Some sources note Fourth Style elements elsewhere, with marble imitations and hunting-themed predella panels.

Peristyle Garden and Exedra
The rear of the house features a large rectangular peristyle garden enclosed on all four sides by a portico supported by 14 white fluted columns. This colonnade provided shaded walkways, drainage channels for roof runoff, and a transition from the more formal front to a greener, private space. The garden itself was planted and likely included statuary or fountains (common in Pompeian peristyles).
At the south end (rear) stands a prominent exedra (semicircular or rectangular recessed room for dining or conversation), a scaled-down version of the famous Alexander exedra in the nearby House of the Faun (VI.12.2). It is framed by two columns on pedestals and paved with a polychrome mosaic emblema (now in the Naples Archaeological Museum) featuring Greek-style motifs in white, black, red, and yellow. The exedra offered sweeping views across the entire garden and portico, enhancing the illusion of space and luxury. Additional rooms open off the portico (e.g., room 15 at the south end of the east portico and a south-west corner room with surviving painted wall decoration).
(Note: A second house, Casa del Cinghiale II / House of Vesbinus at VIII.2.26, also features a boar-hunt mosaic but has a different layout with vestibules, a Tuscan atrium, and more emphasis on lower-level spaces; it is less commonly the primary referent for “House of the Wild Boar.”)

Materials, Construction, and Overall Character
The house uses typical Pompeian techniques: opus incertum or reticulatum masonry (irregular or net-like stone facing), brick elements in later repairs, and high-quality cocciopesto or mosaic pavements. Floors mix black-and-white geometric tesserae (some Imperial-period updates) with occasional polychrome details. Walls were frescoed in styles ranging from earlier panels to Fourth Style illusionism. The overall design prioritizes axial symmetry, light (via the open atrium and peristyle), and water management (impluvium, drainage). Its size and elaborate mosaics indicate wealth, while the hunting motifs unify the decorative program thematically.

Notable Decorations and Features

The house is celebrated for its high-quality mosaics and frescoes, showcasing Pompeian artistry in the 1st century CE.

Mosaics: The entrance fauces features the signature black-and-white mosaic of a wild boar hunted by two dogs, framed by geometric patterns—a dynamic scene symbolizing the thrill of the chase. The atrium floor includes a border depicting a fortified city with towers and gates, evoking themes of security or urban pride. The tablinum has a black-and-white "carpet" mosaic of squares and rectangles, with an acanthus-decorated threshold. Alae mosaics display geometric designs like hexagons, octagons, and meanders, with friezes of shields.
Frescoes: Wall paintings, though faded or removed, include a Fourth Style fresco on the tablinum's east wall depicting Mars and Venus, now lost but preserved in 19th-century drawings by Nicola La Volpe and Giuseppe Abbate (inventory ADS 816-818). The tablinum's zoccolo (lower wall) was red, with a yellow middle zone featuring panel decorations. These motifs blend mythological romance with architectural illusionism.

The peristyle garden, though small, likely included plantings and possibly water features, enhancing the house's serene ambiance.

Artifacts and Discoveries

Excavations uncovered personal and decorative items, including the two bronze or lead seals from 1819, stamped with names suggesting ownership or trade connections. These artifacts, now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, provide epigraphic evidence of residents like Quintus Dellus Amicus and Gaius Julius Suavis. No major hoards or skeletal remains are recorded, but the site's mosaics and frescoes were documented through drawings and photographs, preserving elements removed for conservation.

Cultural and Historical Significance

The House of the Wild Boar illustrates the social and artistic life of middle-class Pompeians, with its hunting-themed mosaic reflecting Roman fascination with nature, sport, and symbolism—possibly apotropaic (warding off evil) or indicative of the owner's status as a hunter or merchant. Political graffiti highlights civic engagement in Pompeii's electoral system. As part of the UNESCO World Heritage site, it contributes to understanding domestic mosaics' evolution and the abrupt preservation of daily life by volcanic disaster. The house remains accessible to visitors, offering a glimpse into refined Roman interiors, though conservation challenges persist due to exposure.