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House of the Library, Pompeii

Address: Insula 17
Area: 625 square meters
Rooms: 10

The House of the Library, known in Italian as Casa della Biblioteca (VI.17.41), is an ancient Roman urban villa in the archaeological site of Pompeii, Italy. Situated in Regio VI, Insula 17 (specifically Insula Occidentalis), along the west side of Vicolo del Farmacista, this house forms part of a larger complex of elite residences perched on the western edge of the city, overlooking the ancient Gulf of Naples (now Gulf of Naples). The structure, which spans multiple levels descending toward the sea, exemplifies the luxurious "hanging houses" typical of Pompeii's affluent western insula, designed for panoramic views, leisure, and cultural pursuits. Excavated initially in the 18th century and more extensively in the 20th, it was buried under volcanic ash and pumice during the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The house measures approximately 300–400 square meters across its known areas, featuring an atrium-centered layout with adjoining rooms, terraces, and service spaces. Its name derives from a room interpreted as a library, where evidence suggests storage of scrolls, reflecting the intellectual life of its inhabitants. Unlike grander Pompeian villas like the House of the Faun, this site emphasizes intimate, scholarly spaces amid ongoing restorations that have revealed active fresco work at the time of the disaster. As of 2025, it remains under conservation as part of the broader Insula Occidentalis project, with limited public access during excavations.

Historical Background

The House of the Library dates primarily to the 1st century BC, with roots in Pompeii's Samnite period (pre-80 BC) and significant Roman modifications following the city's colonization by Sulla in 80 BC. It was likely owned by a cultured elite, possibly a member of a learned society, given its scholarly features. The structure underwent refurbishments after the devastating earthquake of 62 AD, which damaged much of Pompeii, including seismic reinforcements and decorative updates that were incomplete by 79 AD. Evidence from recent digs shows ongoing fresco painting at the eruption, preserving tools and pigments in situ. The house suffered further from the volcanic fallout, with ash filling rooms and collapsing structures.
Initial excavations occurred in 1759 under the Bourbon kings, who removed artifacts and damaged walls during tunneling. Further work in the 1950s and 1970s, led by scholars like Volker Michael Strocka, named it the "House of the Library" based on a room with traces of a wooden wardrobe or shelves for scrolls. The site was restored in 1974 but damaged by Allied bombings in 1943, which hit nearby areas. Stabilization efforts resumed in 2021 under the Great Pompeii Project, focusing on the Insula Occidentalis (including neighboring houses like the House of the Golden Bracelet and House of Fabius Rufus). These works, funded by the EU and Italian government, aim to address erosion, water infiltration, and visitor impact, while uncovering new layers of pre-Roman and post-earthquake history. As of 2025, excavations continue, revealing the house's role in Pompeii's intellectual and artistic scene.

Architecture and Layout

The house follows a typical Pompeian atrium-peristyle plan, adapted to the sloping terrain of Insula Occidentalis, with multiple levels connected by corridors and stairs for sea views. Entry is via a stepped fauces (entrance corridor) from Vicolo del Farmacista, leading to a central atrium with an impluvium (rainwater basin) supported by four brick columns coated in stucco. The atrium floor is a black mosaic with white tesserae dots in linear patterns, edged by a white band around the impluvium.
South of the atrium is a triclinium (dining room) divided into an anteroom and main area, with a mosaic threshold featuring a four-petaled rosette and hinge holes for double doors. The main triclinium has a lozenge-net mosaic on white ground, bordered by black and white bands; the anteroom displays a "carpet" of black tesserae crosses on white. An ala (wing room) on the south side has damaged walls from early excavations. To the west, a poorly preserved tablinum (reception room) opens to rear terraces and gardens, with stairs and corridors linking to lower levels. Southwest and northwest corners house oeci (reception rooms) and a triclinium, respectively, with access to a vaulted terrace. The "library" room, likely in the southeast, connects to this terrace. Service areas include corridors and possible storage under stairs. The multi-level design, with porticoes and terraces, maximized views and light, reflecting elite Roman engineering on unstable volcanic soil.

Decorations and Frescoes

Decorations blend Second, Third, and Fourth Pompeian Styles, with frescoes emphasizing architectural illusions, mythological motifs, and scholarly themes. The entrance's east wall features dark red panels on a pastel green background above a low frieze. The south ala's east wall has a yellow-red podium and purple panels separated by green pilasters, damaged by Bourbon cuts.
The tablinum's north wall shows ship prows on pedestals above a red zoccolo with a central female figure (possibly from an earlier phase) and telamones (supporting figures). A large southeast room off the atrium displays painted columns on red above a yellow-red frieze. The northwest bedroom has red rectangles on yellow. The standout "library" room fresco depicts an ivy-crowned male figure (identified as 5th-century BC poet Philoxenus of Cythera) holding a scroll, lyre, and book box, symbolizing erudition. Fragmentary paintings, possibly from oeci or triclinia, include a winged female Genius or Nike (Victoria) in Second Style, recomposed from 1950s finds. Overall, the vivid colors and motifs highlight cultural refinement, with evidence of mid-eruption repainting.

Artifacts and Discoveries

Few artifacts survived early looting, but mosaics and fresco fragments dominate. The tablinum may have lost its mosaic floor to Bourbon removals. Key recent finds from 2021 restorations include a stone disc with glass paste traces for Egyptian Blue pigment, a bronze vase with an iron crucible for heating oxides, and an olla jar near a vaulted terrace—indicating active fresco production in 79 AD, with analyses ongoing. Traces of a wooden wardrobe in the "library" room suggest scroll storage, aligning with the owner's scholarly pursuits. These discoveries underscore Pompeii's artistic vitality and the eruption's sudden halt to daily life.
In summary, the House of the Library offers a glimpse into Pompeii's elite, intellectual world, blending architecture for leisure with decorations evoking culture and artistry. Its ongoing preservation highlights challenges like seismic vulnerability and modern threats, yet enriches our understanding of Roman daily life frozen in time. Visitors can access it via guided tours in the Pompeii Archaeological Park, though areas may close for excavations.

Most of the panels from the House of the Library can be seen in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. However, some fragments of colorful frescoes remain on the walls.