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House of the Fabius Amandus, Pompeii

The House of Fabius Amandus, also known as the Domus of M. Fabius Amandus or Casa di Fabio Amandio (Regio I, Insula 7, Entrances 2/3; I.7.2/3), is a modest residential structure in Pompeii, exemplifying a typical middle-class Roman home from the 1st century CE. Located on the south side of Via dell’Abbondanza, one of Pompeii's main thoroughfares, it features a compact layout with an atrium, small garden, and access to an upper floor, reflecting the practical living arrangements of non-elite inhabitants in the bustling port city. Named after its presumed owner based on historical associations, the house was buried under volcanic ash during the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius and later excavated, offering insights into everyday domestic life, architectural adaptations, and decorative preferences in late Republican and early Imperial Pompeii.

Historical Background

Constructed likely in the 1st century BCE or early 1st century CE, the House of Fabius Amandus represents the urban housing of Pompeii's middle strata, possibly belonging to a freedman or merchant family, as suggested by its unpretentious scale and functional design. The name derives from epigraphic evidence linking it to M. Fabius Amandus, though direct inscriptions confirming ownership are sparse; it may reflect later scholarly attributions based on nearby finds or contextual clues. The house underwent phases of construction and renovation, with early elements like a cocciopesto border in the atrium impluvium dating to its initial build, and later decorations in the Second and Fourth Pompeian Styles indicating updates before the 62 CE earthquake and subsequent repairs.
Damaged in the 62 CE seismic event that ravaged much of Pompeii, the structure was likely restored in the Flavian period, aligning with broader urban recovery efforts under emperors like Vespasian and Titus. Its location near commercial zones on Via dell’Abbondanza suggests integration into Pompeii's economic fabric, possibly with ground-floor spaces used for small-scale trade or storage, while upper levels provided private quarters. The house remained inhabited until the 79 CE disaster, preserving a snapshot of domestic routines amid the city's final days. In modern times, it was restored as part of the EU-funded Great Pompeii Project (2014–2020), which addressed structural decay and conservation issues across the site, reopening it to the public in December 2015 alongside other modest dwellings to highlight Pompeii's diverse social layers.

Architecture and Layout

The House of Fabius Amandus is a small, two-level domus spanning approximately 150–200 square meters, with dual entrances (I.7.2 and I.7.3) facilitating access from Via dell’Abbondanza. The ground floor centers on a traditional atrium, serving as the main reception and circulation space, with an impluvium (rainwater basin) for collecting water via a compluvium (roof opening). The impluvium features a base of triangular and hexagonal colored marble pieces, encircled by a cocciopesto border from the house's earliest phase, and a central marble circular cover over a cistern for water storage. A door-stop in the atrium floor and steps in the north-west corner lead to the upper floor, indicating vertical expansion to maximize space in the crowded urban environment.
Adjoining the atrium are several rooms: a triclinium (dining room) in the north-east corner, with a beaten lavapesto floor decorated with white tesserae and a central emblema of Numidian marble surrounded by plant motifs. To the south-east, a cubiculum (bedroom) doorway opens, while the rear features a small garden area with a raised flower bed, a semi-circular pool fed by roof runoff, and three marble bases possibly for statues or planters. A small peristyle (colonnaded courtyard) with a semi-circular basin adjoins the west wall of the atrium, providing light and air to adjacent spaces. Corridors and rear rooms, including one south of the garden with an emblema floor bordered by black-and-white mosaic, complete the layout. The entrance corridor, with east and west walls, includes a doorway to a sub-stair area and leads southward into the atrium.
The upper floor, accessed via stairs from the atrium, likely included additional living quarters or storage, though little survives due to the eruption's impact. Overall, the architecture emphasizes functionality over grandeur, with adaptations like lightwells and small green spaces compensating for the lack of a large peristyle, common in wealthier homes.

Excavations and Discoveries

Excavations of the House of Fabius Amandus took place in 1911 and 1923, as documented in contemporary reports like "Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità" (1927, pp. 7–15). These digs revealed the house's stratified construction phases, including early cocciopesto elements and post-62 CE repairs. During the 1923 work, archaeologists uncovered the small peristyle and basin, as well as wall decorations with pick marks beneath Second Style paintings, indicating renovation layers. The site suffered from post-excavation neglect, leading to deterioration until the Great Pompeii Project's restoration in 2015/16, which stabilized walls, floors, and frescoes, reopening it as part of efforts to showcase lesser-known structures.
Discoveries included well-preserved floors and wall paintings, providing evidence of domestic aesthetics. No human remains or major hoards were reported, underscoring its representation of ordinary life rather than dramatic tragedy.

Artifacts and Decorations

Decorations in the House of Fabius Amandus blend Second and Fourth Pompeian Styles, with Fourth Style red panels on a yellow background featuring architectural motifs in the main spaces. The atrium's south-west corner boasts a landscape painting of a temple with a curved roof on a hill, accompanied by a tree, preserved since excavation. The garden area's east wall displays a garden painting, enhancing the illusion of greenery in the confined space. Other walls show painted zoccolo (lower panels), Second Style remnants with pick marks, and faded panels near doorways.
Notable artifacts include a cylindrical lead bucket with zodiac sign reliefs, positioned in the atrium, and a marble table at the impluvium's south end. The small garden's three marble bases suggest placements for sculptures or plants, while floors feature intricate mosaics, such as the triclinium's white tesserae with plant decorations and Numidian marble emblemata. These items, now displayed in situ or documented photographically, illustrate household utilities and aesthetic tastes.

Significance

As a rare preserved example of middle-class housing in Pompeii, the House of Fabius Amandus contrasts with grander villas like the House of the Faun, highlighting social diversity and urban density in the ancient city. Its small garden and lightwell with illusory paintings demonstrate adaptive strategies for incorporating nature into compact homes, a theme in Pompeian domestic architecture. The site's restoration underscores ongoing conservation challenges at Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its inclusion in guided tours emphasizes educational value in understanding Roman daily life beyond elite narratives. Today, it remains accessible to visitors, contributing to scholarly studies on Pompeian society, art, and urbanism.