Regio VII occupies the central western sector of Pompeii and borders in the north with Via della Fortuna Augusta and in the south with Marina or Marine Street. The Pompeii Forum (dark gray) is located in the middle of this area. Regio consists of 16 Insulas and they are all dug out. Of these, Insula 2, 4, and 16 contain buildings that need to be considered in more detail. Insula 16 is the southern half of the so-called Eastern Insula. “Insula Occidentalis". The area covers a combination of commercial, real estate and frequent houses.
Pompeii Forum: The Forum served
as the vibrant heart of public life in ancient Pompeii, functioning
as the primary hub for politics, trade, religion, justice, and
social gatherings. This expansive rectangular square (approximately
157 x 38 meters) featured a grand colonnade with Doric and Ionic
columns, travertine paving, and stunning views toward Mount
Vesuvius. Surrounding it were key structures like the Temple of
Jupiter, the Basilica (for legal matters), the Macellum (market),
and various administrative offices and temples. Originally
developing from the 4th–2nd century BC under Samnite and later Roman
influence, it was a bustling marketplace and civic center closed to
wheeled traffic, where citizens debated, shopped, and conducted
business.
Stabian Baths:
The Stabian Baths (Thermae Stabianae) represent the oldest and
largest public bathing complex in Pompeii, dating back to around 125
BC and occupying a prime spot at the busy intersection of Via
dell'Abbondanza and Via Stabiana. Spanning over 3,300 square meters,
this sophisticated facility included separate sections for men and
women, a large open-air palaestra (exercise courtyard) with a
swimming pool (natatio), colonnades, and a full sequence of bathing
rooms: the frigidarium (cold plunge), tepidarium (warm room), and
caldarium (hot room), all heated by an early hypocaust system
(underfloor heating)—one of the oldest surviving examples in the
Roman world. Features like marble elements, stucco decorations,
niches for clothing, and post-62 AD earthquake renovations
(including fountains and expanded luxury) made it a central spot for
hygiene, socializing, exercise, and relaxation in daily Roman life.
Forum Baths (Insula VII.5, including
entrances 2, 7, 24 and others): Located centrally near the Forum and
opposite the Temple of Fortuna Augusta, the Forum Baths were
constructed around 80 BC with public funding and remained the only
baths fully operational after the 62 AD earthquake. Though smaller
than the Stabian Baths, they were elegantly designed with complete
facilities for both men and women (including independent entrances,
a shared heating system, and a porticoed courtyard). Key rooms
featured barrel-vaulted ceilings with stucco decorations (some
showing giants or garden motifs), an apodyterium (changing room with
benches and lockers), frigidarium with a central cold pool,
tepidarium warmed by a brazier, and caldarium with hot immersion and
a marble labrum (cold-water basin). The complex emphasized comfort
and refinement, serving as a popular meeting place for locals and
officials.
Lupanare or Brothel
(Insula VII.12.18): The Lupanare (Latin for "wolf den" or brothel)
was Pompeii's largest and most famous purpose-built house of
prostitution, situated in a convenient spot near the Forum and
Stabian Baths at the intersection of narrow alleys (Vicolo del
Lupanare and Vicolo del Balcone Pensile). This two-story structure
contained about ten small cubicles, each with a basic masonry bed
(originally topped with a mattress), five on the ground floor and
five upstairs accessed by a wooden staircase. Erotic frescoes above
the doorways likely served as advertisements or menu options
depicting various sexual positions, while walls were covered in
ancient graffiti naming clients, prostitutes (many enslaved women
from the East), and comments. Managed by a "leno" (pimp), it catered
to a steady flow of traders, sailors, and locals at modest prices
(around 2 asses, equivalent to a glass of wine), offering a raw
glimpse into the underbelly of Roman urban life and sexuality.
House of Siricus (VII.1.47)
Also
known as the House of Vedius Siricus (or Domus Vedi Sirici), this
elegant residence in Pompeii's Regio VII was formed by the merger of
two separate dwellings in the 1st century BC. It features principal
entrances on Via Stabiana and Vicolo del Lupanare (near the Stabian
Baths). Excavated primarily between 1851 and 1872 (with some work
continuing into the 1870s), the house belonged to Publius Vedius
Siricus, a prominent local figure. It is renowned for its
well-preserved frescoes depicting mythological scenes, including
figures like the wounded Aeneas and other classical themes, many of
which were once vibrant but have since faded or been moved to the
National Archaeological Museum in Naples. The layout combines
residential and service areas, reflecting the lifestyle of a wealthy
Pompeian family.
House of M. Caesi Blandi (VII.1.40) — also
known as the House of Mars and Venus
This Roman domus was
excavated in two main campaigns, in 1848 and 1862. Its name derives
from a notable fresco (now likely in a museum collection) depicting
the mythological couple Mars and Venus, though the house is formally
linked to its owner, Marcus Caesi Blandus.
The atrium is
particularly well-preserved and features a central impluvium
(rainwater basin) made of tuff stone, designed to collect water from
the open compluvium above. Nearly the entire floor retains its
original mosaic paving: near the entrance (fauces), the design
incorporates playful dolphins swimming among waves, while the
patterns transition elegantly toward the interior. Beyond the atrium
lies the tablinum (the formal reception room), followed by a
spacious peristyle garden courtyard. The colonnade surrounding the
peristyle is almost completely intact, with many columns still
standing and evoking the original grandeur of the space.
In at
least three rooms (including cubicula and other private chambers),
visitors can still admire the remains of colorful wall paintings
(frescoes) alongside well-preserved mosaic floors. These decorations
typically followed the styles popular in Pompeii during the final
decades before the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, blending geometric
patterns, floral motifs, and figurative elements that highlighted
the owner's wealth and cultural refinement. A secondary (rear)
entrance is located at VII.1.43.
Insula 2
House of Gavius Rufus
(VII.2.16)
Also known as the Casa di Teseo (House of
Theseus) or the House of the Seven Skeletons, this
elegant Roman domus was excavated in 1867. It likely
belonged to a member of the Gavius family, though some
scholars have questioned the exact ownership based on
the inscriptions found there. The house is renowned for
its refined Fourth Style wall paintings, including a
striking mythological scene in the peristyle exedra
depicting Theseus after slaying the Minotaur, surrounded
by awestruck citizens of Athens. Other frescoes feature
dramatic contests, such as the judgment between Venus
and Hesperus with Apollo presiding.
Tragically,
during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, seven
victims sought shelter inside the house but perished.
Their remains were discovered in 1868; only one yielded
a successful plaster cast, showing a person lying
face-down in a room off the atrium. The house features a
traditional layout with an atrium, peristyle garden, and
service areas, highlighted by tufa capitals at the
entrance and well-preserved decorative elements that
offer insight into upper-class Pompeian life.
House of the Bear (VII.2.45)
Also called the Casa dell’Orso Ferito (House of the
Wounded Bear) and sometimes linked to the adjacent
property at VII.2.44, this charming house was excavated
between 1865 and 1868. Its name comes from the striking
black-and-white mosaic in the vestibule (entrance
hallway), which depicts a wounded bear pierced by a
spear, accompanied by the welcoming Latin inscription
“HAVE” (meaning “Hail!” or “Greetings!”). This image
likely served as an apotropaic symbol to ward off evil
and protect the household.
Beyond the famous mosaic,
the house boasts beautiful geometric floor patterns in
black-and-white tiles and a graceful nymphaeum fountain
in the garden area, adorned with colorful glass-paste
mosaics, marble, shells, and lava fragments, featuring
motifs like a reclining Venus with attending cupids amid
a sea of fish. The refined decorations and layout
reflect the tastes of a prosperous Pompeian family,
blending artistic elegance with practical Roman domestic
design. Visitors often find it one of the more intimate
and evocative houses in the city.
House of T. Terentius Proculu (3) - It has been explored several
times between 1843 and 1868 : after passing the large entrance
vestibule, one can directly access the peristyle where a basin was
to be built in the center ; the house also had an area dedicated to
a bakery, with an oven and millstones, and the main decoration was
represented by a lararium with a frescoed vestal in the act of
pouring libations, with a donkey behind him and a Genius.
House
of T. Terentius Neo (6) - It was explored between 1843 and 1868 and is a
home of modest size, with irregular plant, with atrium with
impluvium in marble and eight rooms , some of which are resistant
wall decorations, especially in the plinth: the north face ' esedra
was found one of the most famous frescoes of ancient Pompeii, namely
that of Terentius Neo with his wife.
Optatio's house (14) - It is so
called because of the discovery of a graffiti that bears this name:
the atrium preserves the impluvium , while in the tablinum are
visible remains of the ancient mosaic pavement; in the rest of the
house, in different rooms, remains of plaster with a black
background, while in a room along the garden a lararium was painted
, now faded, with a snake at the base and two deities on it.
House of C. Vibi (18) - It has the classic scheme of the Roman house: in
the atrium there are the remains of a marble table with decorated
feet and around it there are cubicles, where in one the
representation of a sacred landscape was found; it then continues
with the garden and the remains of the peristyle with the portico,
where in the center there was a swimming pool, while in the
triclinium three dining sofas were found , in wood and bronze with
inlays in silver and copper .
House of N. Popidius Priscus (20) - Also
known as the House of Marbles , a statue of a Silenus was explored
between 1833 and 1864 and among the main finds, the atrium has a
tuff tuff and around it various cubicles with remains of wall
decorations in black or red, while in the garden, in addition to
bases of columns, a staircase was found that led to the cellars ,
inside which is a lararium, still frescoed, on whose altar remains
of offerings were found.
House of Eros Punito (23) - Also called the
House of Vettius, it is so called because of the finding of a fresco
showing Venus leading Eros to a punishment for making a mistake
while launching an arrow : the house has a regular layout, with an
atrium and a tablinum, where it was found. main fresco, along with
another depicting Mars and Venus.
Casa delle Quadrighe (25) - Also
called Casa della Caccia Nuova has a long entrance corridor on which
opens the kitchen that preserves the remains of a lararium by now
faded paintings, while those of the triclinium have been removed to
be preserved at the archaeological museum of Naples, including the
fresco of the Hephaestus workshop ; his painter, on the other hand,
preserves the viridario, with garden scenes , with plants , flowers
, fountains and large animals .
House of Mercury (35) - It was
excavated in 1844 , 1848 and 1862 : a little over two hundred square
meters, past the entrance one enters the atrium with impluvium ,
where a column remains and around it are the eight rooms that make
up the house; remains of wall decorations in red and black are found
on the walls, in addition to the remains of a staircase that led to
the upper floor and another that led to the cellar.
House of
Popidi Prisci (38) - It measures just over a square meter and is composed
of six rooms: in some of them, especially in the tablinum and in the
atrium, decorative panels in yellow and red are preserved; the house
also had a second floor.
House of D. Caprasius Primus (48) - It was
explored in the second half of the nineteenth century and has an
irregular plan: remains of pictorial decorations are still observed
in an environment even if staked during Bourbon explorations; in the
same room it is also easy to understand, through the decorations in
stucco, which had a ceiling once.
House of Suettii, Potitus and
Elainus (51) - It has an entrance with square tuff capitals and on the
main façade there are electoral inscriptions: inside the house is
composed of atrium, tablinum, triclinium, kitchen with the remains
of the hearth and an oven, garden and viridario and in some of these
rooms it is possible to see the remains of stuccos and frescoes,
which, like those of the entrance corridor, refer to the first style, with colorful geometric designs.
Insula 3
House of Ercole Fanciullo (11) - It was dug several times
between 1837 and 1867 : as soon as you pass the entrance, there are
the remains of a staircase that led to the upper floor, the atrium
has meager remains of impluvium and in the garden there was a shrine
with a kiosk ; the house was owned by an Egyptian, since inside it
was found a bench decorated with symbols of Egyptian culture: this
find is now preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of
Naples.
House of the Double Lararium (13) - It was explored between
1837 and 1869 and is so called because in the garden there are the
remains of two superimposed larars: the house had entrance directly
from a shop and then followed the atrium, the tablinum and the
garden, beyond to several cubicles and to the kitchen, in which
there was, next to the hearth , painted a lararium, lost.
House
of M. Spuri Mesoris (29) - It presents an entrance atrium with marble
puteal, while the impluvium has been lost , whose shape can hardly
be recognized and around it there are cubicles and the triclinium
containing traces of pictorial decoration in red and yellow; in a
cubicle the decorative panels remained almost completely intact,
together with stuccoes and flooring.
Baker's House (30) - Also called
the House of the Magistrate Anonymous it was excavated in 1863 and
1869 and is so named because inside it was found a fresco to which
two different interpretations have been given: the first is that it
is a bakery , while the second is a magistrate who distributes bread
to the people ; the house consists of an atrium, kitchen with
latrine, oecus and triclinium, as well as several cubicles.
Insula 4
Temple of Fortuna
August (VII.4.1)
Also known as the Tempio della
Fortuna Augusta, this elegant but relatively small temple stands
prominently at the busy crossroads of Via del Foro and Via della
Fortuna, just north of the main Forum. It was constructed in the
early years of the 1st century AD (late Augustan period) at the
personal expense of Marcus Tullius, a wealthy and influential local
aristocrat who served as duumvir (chief magistrate) twice and was a
distant relative of the famous orator Cicero. He donated both the
land and the funding (solo et pecunia sua), and even established a
dedicated college of ministers for its cult.
The temple promoted
the imperial cult by honoring Fortuna Augusta — the goddess of
fortune in her aspect tied to Emperor Augustus and the imperial
family — blending traditional Roman religion with political loyalty
to the new regime. Its design echoes the larger Temple of Jupiter in
the Forum: a Corinthian-order structure raised on a high podium with
a deep pronaos (portico) originally featuring columns. Access was
via a monumental staircase interrupted by a platform that held the
main altar. The cella (inner chamber) contained a central niche for
the cult statue of Fortuna Augusta, flanked by four side niches that
likely held honorary statues of the imperial family or the
benefactor himself (a toga-clad male statue found here may represent
Marcus Tullius).
Damaged by the devastating earthquake of 62 AD,
the temple was never fully restored by the time of the volcanic
eruption. Traces of iron railings and gates that once controlled
access to the sacred area still survive in places. Its marble
elements and refined decoration made it a powerful visual statement
of elite piety and imperial devotion in Pompeii.
House of the Colored Capitals
(VII.4.31/51)
Commonly called the Casa dei Capitelli
Colorati or House of Ariadne (Casa di Arianna), this large and
luxurious domus is one of the most significant private residences in
the insula. It features beautifully painted and colored column
capitals (hence its name), which combine geometric, floral, and
figurative motifs in vibrant hues — a distinctive decorative choice
that adds richness to its architecture.
The house boasts an
impressive collection of Fourth Style wall paintings and fine
mosaics. Notable frescoes include mythological scenes such as Apollo
and Daphne (with Daphne transforming into a laurel tree), Polyphemus
gazing at Galatea, and other romantic or dramatic episodes drawn
from Greek mythology. Some rooms preserve elegant black-and-white or
polychrome floor mosaics, including intricate geometric patterns and
emblemata (central pictorial panels). One ala (wing) off the atrium
displays refined decorations, while the overall layout includes a
spacious peristyle garden, multiple reception rooms, and service
areas that reflect the lifestyle of a prosperous Pompeian family.
Excavated in the 19th century, the house reveals layers of
Republican and Imperial-era modifications, blending early
architectural elements with later luxurious refinements. Its
artistic program, with themes of love, transformation, and myth,
offers a window into the cultural tastes and domestic elegance of
Pompeii’s upper class.
House of the Figured Capitals
(VII.4.57)
Known as the Casa dei Capitelli Figurati, this elegant
house derives its name from its remarkable sculpted and figured
column capitals at the entrance and in the peristyle. These capitals
feature detailed relief carvings, including scenes with human
figures, a married couple, satyrs with maenads, and other
mythological or festive motifs — showcasing high-quality stone
carving that elevates the architectural decoration beyond the
ordinary.
Excavated primarily between 1831 and 1836, the house
lies close behind the Temple of Fortuna Augusta. It features a
traditional Roman domus plan with an atrium, tablinum, and
peristyle. Discoveries inside included a bronze-decorated wooden
chest with bas-relief panels depicting centaurs and human figures,
as well as a notable sundial found in the garden area. The walls and
floors once held refined paintings and mosaics typical of wealthy
Pompeian homes, though many have been removed to museums for
preservation.
The figured capitals remain its most distinctive
feature, blending functional architecture with artistic
storytelling. This house provides excellent evidence of how Pompeian
elites used sculptural decoration to display wealth, taste, and
cultural sophistication in their private spaces.
House of the Wild Boar
Referred to in
Italian as the Casa del Cinghiale (there are two houses with similar
names, but this typically points to the well-known example with the
iconic mosaic, often Casa del Cinghiale I in Regio VIII or related
properties), this residence is famous for its striking
black-and-white floor mosaic in the entrance vestibule or threshold.
The mosaic vividly depicts a wild boar (cinghiale), sometimes shown
in a hunting context or as a standalone powerful animal, symbolizing
strength, the hunt, or apotropaic protection.
The house features
additional hunting-themed frescoes and mosaics on the walls and
floors, creating a cohesive decorative program centered on wildlife
and pursuit. These motifs were popular in Roman domestic art,
evoking the excitement of the arena, countryside estates, or simply
the owner’s interest in virile pastimes. The layout includes an
atrium and other standard rooms, with well-preserved decorative
elements that highlight the artistic skill of Pompeian craftsmen.
Often described as charming and evocative, the House of the Wild
Boar stands out for its dynamic entrance mosaic, which would have
greeted visitors with a bold and lively image right at the threshold
— a classic example of how Pompeians used floor art to impress and
welcome guests while conveying symbolic meaning.
Insula 6
House of Diana III (3) - Also called the House of M.
Spurius Saturninus and D. Volcius Modestus was excavated in 1760 and
later, having been looted, was buried: explored again between 1841
and 1910 , it was devastated by bombing in 1943, reducing it to a
heap of rubble; between 2007 and 2010 restoration work protected
part of the kitchen, which has the remains of a frescoed lararium:
one of the main finds is a statue of Diana.
House of the
Peristyle (28) - Also called Casa di Secundus Tyrannus Fortunatus was
heavily bombed during the Second World War, leading to the
destruction of some environments that preserved paintings in third
style ; However, the main decoration were detached in the Bourbon
period and stored in the Naples Archaeological Museum: In addition
to the various frescoes were recovered cups and vases in ivory ,
decorated with figures in relief.
House of Petutius Quintio (30) - So
called because of the discovery of this name on an amphora placed at
the entrance, it was explored at the end of the 18th century and in
the first Bourbon surveys it was stripped of all the main
decorations: traces of stuccoed columns and walls painted in red
remain and in yellow.
House of Cipius Pamphilus Felix (38) - It
consists of an atrium and a small garden with the remains of four
columns: between the rooms, in an oecus , we can see remains of
painting with geometric shapes, while the best preserved ones are
kept in the archaeological museum of Naples , such as the fresco of
lararium found in the kitchen.
Insula 7
Triptolemus House (5) -
It was explored between 1859 and 1871 : it has an entrance corridor
that overlooks the atrium with impluvium followed by the tablinum
and the peristyle, which contained a masonry altar, decorated with
yellow and red flowers ; during the excavations sixteen terracotta
lamps were found , while the second and fourth style frescoes
preserved in the tablinum were lost following the bombing in 1943.
House of Romulus and Remus (10) - It is so named for the finding of a
fresco, in the oecus , depicting the birth of Rome with Romulus and
Remus along with the she- wolf : this paintings, along with many
others, were lost following a bombing during the Second World War;
part of the plinth remains on which panels were then drawn, often
with scenes of animals: a skeleton of a man with a gold ring on his
finger was found.
Home of the Veteranus Iulianus (16) - It was
explored in 1871 : the house did not have an atrium and was accessed
directly in the peristyle, where an aviary was placed, of which one
can still see the basal remains of stones arranged in a circle;
decorative shapes are missing.
House of the Altar of Jupiter (21) - It
is a house of modest dimensions investigated four times from 1817 to
1868 and subsequently heavily damaged by the air raids of the Second
World War, which led to the destruction of rooms and frescoes.
House of C. Julius Primigenius (23) - It was excavated in 1845 and in
1859 : traces of the peristyle remain with columns, although these
were partly destroyed by bombing in 1943 , as well as the remains of
a lararium with a snake at the base and drawings of plants in the
niche.
Insula 9
House of the King of Prussia (33) - It was
probably a caupona and is composed of an atrium, a kitchen, a
dormitory and an upper floor: in the atrium it is possible to see
the fresco depicting a landscape and a lararium and at the base was
a fountain decorated with mosaics, damaged; in the house was also
found an erotic fresco preserved in the Neapolitan archaeological
museum.
House of Mars and Venus (47) - Also called the House of
Hercules and Ebe's wedding, it dates back to the 2nd century BC and
has a Tuscan atrium and a peristyle: part of the construction also
had to be made of wood as shown by a series of holes left by the
poles around the impluvium.
Insula 10
House of the New Hunt (3) - It was excavated in 1821 and 1863 : the atrium has remains of mosaic flooring with a central design in the tablinum; around the entrance room, where a fresco with Arianna and Teseo was also found , there are cubicles, with parts of plaster on the wall and floor: the garden, with peristyle supported by fluted columns and a small central fountain, had to be embellished with a large animal fresco.
Insula 12
House of L. Caecilius Capella (3) - Also called the House
of Prince Henry of Holland, it was excavated in 1845 and 1863 and
featured several electoral inscriptions on the façade: inside it
consists of an entrance corridor, atrium and garden with peristyle
which had a small swimming pool with fountain in the center, where a
statue of a half-naked boy was found, grasping the head and tail of
a dolphin in his hands.
House of Narcissus (21) - Also called House of
the Statue of Narcissus it is so named for the discovery of a bronze
statue, in a room near the entrance, which depicts Narcissus or
Dionysus : the atrium has a marble impluvium and, like the cubicles
that it is around there are remains of wall decorations; then
follows the triclinium and the kitchen with the remains of the
hearth: inside were also found several bronze kitchen utensils like
jugs.
House of Camillo (23) - It was to be used as a workshop for the
production of wool : from the atrium, through some steps, it is
possible to reach the triclinium and the garden, where originally,
in four niches, four statues in blue were frescoed; in various
environments the wall decorations are preserved both in the plaster
and stucco part.
House of Cornelius Diadumenus (26) - It is thus named
for a rediscovered seal , bearing this name: several pictorial
decorations are still preserved in the house, both in the triclinium
and in the rooms overlooking the garden; the best-preserved frescoes
have been removed to be preserved in the archaeological museum of
Naples, such as that of Artemis and the nymph Callisto, found in the
triclinium and Aphrodite , found in a room near the atrium.
Hanging Balcony House (28) - It has the distinction of having preserved
part of the upper floor, which protrudes on the road from the
entrance below: inside, a central garden with peristyle supported by
three columns and a pillar, where there was also a fountain
decorated with a statue of the baby.
Insula 13
Gianimede's house
(4) - Also called Casa delle Quattro Stagioni was excavated
in 1839 and 1863 : remains of the impluvium are preserved in the
atrium and around cubicles and oecus with remains of plaster in
yellow and red; in the garden there are surviving some pieces of the
column of the peristyle and the entrance to the triclinium room,
which originally had walls plastered in white, with relief
depictions.
House of Lucio Cecilio Commune (8) - Also called the
House of M. Stronnius Favorinus has a long access corridor where the
staircase leading to the upper floor was also placed: the atrium
preserves the impluvium surrounded by the remains of four columns
and around it the rooms of the house open up , including the
kitchen, with a masonry bench and the triclinium, with remains of
the plinth in red.
Insula 14
Casa del Cambio (5) - Also called
the House of the Banker or Queen's House of England, it was
excavated between 1838 and 1863 : in the atrium there is a
characteristic niche lararium, supported by a column and two
half-columns resting on the wall; there are remains of mosaic
flooring or pieces of marble and wall decorations: in the kitchen it
is an oven and a kettle, while in another room tanks used for
coloring fabrics .
House of Valerio Popidio (9) - Also called Casa
delle Colombe, it was explored in 1838 : after passing the entrance
corridor, you enter the atrium with marble impluvium and surrounded
by cubicles and an oecus; then follows the tablinum and the garden
with a portico on the south side, supported by five pillars , while
the kitchen was also equipped with an oven: a skeleton was found
inside the house.
House of L. Caecilius Communis (15) - Also called
the House of M. Stronnius Favorinus was excavated in 1840 and 1862 :
the house consists of an entrance hall, cubicles, a kitchen, while
the garden was missing, which was recreated directly in the tablinum
by a painting; little remains of mosaic decoration can be seen along
a wall of a closet.
Insula 15
Sailor's House (2) - Also called Casa di Niobe or Casa
del Gallo, it preserves remains of mosaic flooring in the entrance
corridor, in the atrium, in a bedroom, with geometric designs, and
in the tablinum: the garden was devastated by some bombs dropped
during the second world war, while another peculiarity was the
presence of a small thermal area with calidarium and tepidarium , as
well as a dressing room.
House of A. Octavius Primus (13) - It was
explored in 1859 and in 1872 and damaged by a bomb during World War
II: in the atrium, in addition to the impuvium, the four columns
that supported the compluvium , a puteal and a marble table with
decorated feet are preserved ; in the triclinium remains of painting
, while in the kitchen part of a lararium is preserved, with a snake
climbing up a column, made of stucco.
House of C. Julius
Nicephorus (14) - It was excavated in 1859 and in 1872 and is of modest
dimensions: it is simply composed of an atrium, a kitchen, several
small rooms and an oecus overlooking the garden with remains of the
peristyle.
Insula 16
House of M. Fabius Rufus (22) (Casa di Marco Fabio Rufo, Regio VII.16.22) in Pompeii is one of the largest and most luxurious urban villas in the city. It is a multi-level "hanging house" (built against the ancient city walls on up to four terraces), offering panoramic views over the Gulf of Naples and the Sarno plain. The interior features elegant Fourth Style frescoes throughout, a notable reception room (oecus) with bay windows overlooking a marble pool, and remnants of earlier Second Style decoration, including possible astronomical motifs.
House of Aemilius Crescens (3) - It has an irregular plant and after
being explored in 1842 and in 1872 it was badly damaged by a bombing
in 1943 which destroyed most of its decorations: it was later
restored in 1950 ; near the front door two electoral inscriptions
were painted, detached and preserved in the archaeological museum of
Naples.
House of the Prince of Montenegro (10) - It was excavated in
1851 but was heavily damaged by bombing in 1943 : in fact, the
atrium and several rooms that had decorations in third and fourth
style were destroyed.
House of Umbricius Scaurus II (13) - It was
excavated from 1851 to 1858 but heavily bombed in 1943 , reducing it
to a pile of rubble: from the regular layout, it has an atrium with
impluvium , a tablinum and a peristyle with a central pool
surrounded by columns, as well as nineteen rooms ; among the main
surviving decorations, remains of wainscoting on the walls in yellow
and floor mosaics, in some cases arranged according to design.
House of Umbricius Scaurus I (15) - It was heavily bombed during the
Second World War, causing its almost total destruction and reducing
it to a pile of rubble: restoration work took place only in 2010 and
2011 ; however in some areas it is still possible to observe the
remains of the mosaic pavement and the yellow wainscoting of
different environments.
House of Maius Castricius (17) - It is part of
the complex of the house of Fabio Rufo and is so called because of
the discovery of an Oscan inscription bearing this name: the house
had to be composed of a peristyle with columns, along which the
rooms were opened and a garden, on which walls, animals, pygmies and
gladiators are depicted.