Address: Regio VII, Insula 4
Area: 1618 square meters
Rooms:
+40
The House of the Colored Capitals (Italian: Casa dei
Capitelli Colorati), also known as the House of Ariadne (Casa di Arianna
or Casa di Ariadne), is one of Pompeii’s most architecturally and
artistically significant elite residences. It is located in Regio VII,
Insula 4 (specifically entries VII.4.31 and VII.4.51, with linkages to
VII.4.32 and VII.4.33), at the intersection of Via degli Augustali
(north) and Via della Fortuna (south). This central urban position
placed it near the Forum and commercial districts, ideal for a wealthy
family engaged in public and economic life.
The house derives its
primary modern name from its distinctive polychrome (multi-colored) and
figured column capitals in the peristyle(s), a rare surviving feature of
Pompeian domestic architecture. Many capitals feature frontal heads of
satyrs and maenads placed close together, accompanied by scrolls and
vertical acanthus leaves—characteristic of local Hellenistic-influenced
“figured capitals” often carved from Nocera tufa stone. Some of these
capitals were removed during or after excavation and are now preserved
in storage (e.g., Pompeii’s VII.7.29 granary) or museums; others remain
in situ or documented in 19th-century records.
It is alternatively
called the House of Ariadne because of a celebrated fresco (originally
in an oecus or dining/reception room) depicting Dionysus (Bacchus)
discovering the sleeping Ariadne on the island of Naxos, with Hypnos
(Sleep) nearby. This mythic scene of divine love and rescue ties into
the house’s pervasive Dionysian/Bacchic themes, suggesting the owners
had a particular devotion to Bacchic cults popular among the Roman
elite.
Situated in Regio VII, Insula 4, entrances 31 and 51, the House of the Coloured Capitals fronts onto Via degli Augustali (north) and Via della Fortuna (south), in Pompeii's central district near the Forum and commercial areas. This location positioned it in a vibrant urban zone, facilitating social and economic activities for its inhabitants. Originating in the 2nd-1st century BCE during the Samnite period, the house underwent expansions, incorporating neighboring plots to create a grand estate with multiple courtyards. Post-62 CE earthquake renovations included Fourth Style decorations, some left unfinished due to the 79 CE eruption, as evidenced by incomplete plasterwork. Excavations began in 1822 under Bourbon archaeologists, with major campaigns in 1832 and 1846 uncovering frescoes, mosaics, and artifacts now housed in the Naples Archaeological Museum. Historical documentation, including 19th-century drawings by Pasquale Maria Veneri and Antonio Ala, preserves lost elements like atrium friezes. The house's history reflects Pompeii's evolution from Oscan influences to Roman imperial culture, with Dionysian themes suggesting devotion to Bacchic cults popular among the elite.
Construction and Pre-Eruption History (2nd Century BCE–79 CE)
The
house reflects Pompeii’s urban evolution from Oscan/Samnite to fully
Romanized culture. Its earliest phase dates to the late Samnite period
(2nd century BCE), during a time of Hellenistic cultural influence
following contacts with Greek colonies in southern Italy. Initial
construction used opus incertum walls of local lava stone and tufa,
typical of Republican-era building.
In the late Republican period
(late 2nd–1st century BCE), the owners expanded dramatically by
purchasing and incorporating neighboring properties. This created a
large, irregular but luxurious domus (private house) spanning roughly
600–1,850 m² depending on whether linked adjacent units are counted as
part of the core residence. The layout followed the classic Italic domus
plan—fauces (entrance corridor), atrium, tablinum (reception
room)—augmented by Hellenistic elements such as multiple peristyles (at
least two, with Ionic and Doric columns) for light, air, gardens, and
private leisure. Upper floors existed, indicated by staircases and beam
holes. A secondary rear entrance on Via della Fortuna accessed the
northern peristyle directly.
The house featured an atrium with
impluvium (rainwater basin), alae (side wings), cubicula (bedrooms), and
service areas. Drainage systems, cisterns, and lavatories were
sophisticated; later studies highlighted these functional aspects of
daily life. A money chest base (a lava block with a groove for securing
a strongbox) in the atrium suggests the owners were affluent, possibly
merchants or involved in trade.
The 62 CE earthquake (which severely
damaged much of Pompeii) prompted major renovations in the Fourth
Pompeian Style—characterized by elaborate, eclectic mythological scenes,
architectural illusions, and vivid colors. Many decorations were left
unfinished when Vesuvius erupted on 24–25 August 79 CE, burying the city
under ash and pumice. Rooms show incomplete plasterwork and painting,
capturing a moment of interrupted domestic life. The house was likely
still occupied by its owners or tenants at the time of the disaster; no
specific victims are definitively linked to it, but the family
presumably fled or perished elsewhere.
Artistic and Cultural
Significance
The house’s decorations blend First Style (early
structural illusions in the original phases) with lavish Fourth Style
updates. Dionysian motifs dominate:
The Ariadne fresco (now in the
National Archaeological Museum of Naples).
A Bacchic frieze in the
atrium showing a carriage with panthers and cupids (lost but preserved
in 19th-century watercolors and drawings).
Opus sectile (inlaid
marble) panels in the tablinum depicting dancing maenads, Dionysus with
thyrsus, and a Priapus statue.
Other frescoes include Apollo and
Daphne (in an ala with a marble-faced lararium shrine), Polyphemus
gazing at Galatea, and an unusual “shopping for love” or Eros shop scene
possibly alluding to the Ariadne myth.
Floors featured mosaics
(e.g., emblema panels with white tesserae) and some rooms had marble
veneer. These elements highlight elite Roman domestic luxury, blending
Greek mythic themes with local cult practices and status display. The
colored capitals themselves were not merely decorative but symbolically
tied to Dionysian imagery (satyrs and maenads).
Excavation and
Modern Rediscovery (19th–21st Centuries)
Bourbon-era archaeologists
excavated the house in phases: initial work in 1822, major campaigns in
1832–1833 and 1846. Many frescoes, mosaics, and artifacts were detached
and transferred to the Royal Bourbon Museum (now Naples Archaeological
Museum). 19th-century artists and scholars documented the site
extensively, including drawings by Wilhelm Zahn (1833), Pasquale Maria
Veneri, Antonio Ala, and publications in Real Museo Borbonico and
Niccolini’s Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei. These records preserve
details of now-faded or lost elements.
In the 20th century, the house
underwent cleaning and full documentation between 1978 and 1983.
Australian archaeologists (notably from the University of Western
Australia, including Frank Sear and John Melville-Jones) conducted
detailed surveys focusing on water systems, drainage, cisterns, and
evidence of daily life. These studies, presented in talks and
publications, emphasized practical aspects like household water
management alongside the artistic features.
Today, the house is
accessible within the Pompeii Archaeological Park (though not always
open to the public due to conservation). It exemplifies Pompeii’s
transition from Samnite townhouse to Romanized luxury villa, offering
insights into elite domestic architecture, religion (especially Bacchic
cults), and the impact of the 62 CE earthquake and 79 CE eruption. Its
frescoes, mosaics, and unique colored capitals continue to be studied
for pigment analysis and conservation, revealing layers of ancient Roman
taste and craftsmanship.
The house follows a classic axial domus design on an irregular plot, emphasizing internal privacy with limited street-facing windows. Built using opus incertum walls of local lava stone and tufa, it features a main entrance (31) on Via degli Augustali leading to a fauces, atrium, tablinum, and two sequential peristyles for light and ventilation. A secondary entrance (51) on Via della Fortuna accesses the rear peristyle. The layout integrates linked properties for expanded living space, with evidence of upper floors via staircases and beam holes. Post-earthquake modifications include blocked doorways and marble veneering for reinforcement. The plan prioritizes flow from public (atrium) to private (peristyles), with service areas on the sides.
The house comprises over 12 rooms, organized around
the atrium and peristyles:
Room 1 (Fauces): Narrow corridor from
Via degli Augustali, providing access to the atrium.
Room 2 (Atrium):
Central hall with impluvium remnants for water collection; south-east
corner features post-62 CE marble zoccolo and pilaster with filled
niche, possibly original lararium site.
Rooms 3-5 (Cubicula):
West-side bedrooms; Room 5 shows unfinished decorations with stucco
upper walls and unpainted middle sections.
Room 6 (Ala): West ala
with lararium shrine, relocated post-earthquake.
Rooms 7-9 (Ala and
Cubicula): East-side wing and bedrooms; Room 9 has windows onto Vicolo
Storto and blocked doorway.
Room 10 (Tablinum): Reception area with
views to peristyle; site of opus sectile panels discovery.
Rooms
11-12 (Corridors): Flanking tablinum, leading to peristyle.
Notable features include a money chest base in the atrium's south-west
corner (lava block with groove) and downpipes for drainage in cubicula.
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Decorations span First Style (structural illusions) in early
elements and Fourth Style (eclectic post-earthquake) with vivid
colors. Painted capitals in the peristyle use polychrome motifs, a
hallmark feature. Key artworks:
Ariadne Fresco: Depicts
Dionysus discovering sleeping Ariadne with Hypnos, from 1st century
BCE, evoking mythic romance; now in Naples Museum.
Atrium Frieze:
Lost Bacchus carriage with panthers and cupids, documented in
19th-century watercolor (Naples Museum, ADS 596).
Opus Sectile
Panels (Tablinum): Colored marble Dionysian scenes—dancing Maenads,
Dionysus with thyrsus, Priapus statue—dated 1st century CE.
Mosaics include entrance flooring with white tesserae rows, drawn in
1843 (Naples Museum, ADS 595).
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Theseus leaves Ariadne (Bottom left)
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Artifacts include the money chest base and opus sectile panels (Naples Museum inv. 9977, 9979). No major inscriptions are noted, though electoral graffiti may exist on facades. Excavations yielded Dionysian-themed items, reinforcing cultic associations.
The House of the Coloured Capitals offers a window into Pompeii's Republican roots and Imperial refinements, with its painted capitals, mythic frescoes, and unfinished renovations capturing life interrupted by disaster. Its preservation aids in reconstructing ancient Roman domestic and religious practices.
