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House of the Restaurant, Pompeii

Address: Regio IX, Insula 5
Area: 797 square meters
Rooms: 15

The House of the Restaurant, designated as IX.5.14 in the archaeological grid of Pompeii, is a modest ancient Roman residence also known as the Casa di Lupanare piccolo (Little Brothel House). It is intrinsically linked to adjacent properties IX.5.15 and IX.5.16, forming a combined complex that was originally two separate buildings merged into one. Excavated in 1878, the site spans approximately 797 square meters and encompasses around 15 rooms. Its name derives from its connection to a neighboring popina (a type of tavern or eatery) or lupanarium (brothel), which had a separate entrance at door number 16 on an unnamed street. This setup suggests it may have functioned as a discreet, family-operated establishment, reflecting the tolerance for such businesses in Roman society. The house was buried under volcanic ash and pumice during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, preserving elements of daily life, though much has deteriorated due to post-excavation neglect and looting. During the initial dig, artifacts like bronze door studs and an iron key were recovered, hinting at the property's secured entrances.
Located on the west side of Vicolo del Centenario—a narrow alley south of the major thoroughfare Via di Nola—the house occupies a quieter, residential-commercial area in Regio IX, one of Pompeii's eastern districts. This positioning placed it amid a mix of homes, shops, and service-oriented buildings, typical of Pompeii's urban fabric where domestic and commercial spaces often intertwined. The site's excavation records, including notes from archaeologist August Mau, provide insights into its state at discovery, though many decorative elements were removed or faded over time.

House of the Restaurant, like many other rich mansions, was built as two buildings, which were later merged into one, having bought the house of a neighbor. Anteroom (a) opens to the west side of Vicolo del Centenario Street. Although the walls of the hallway have lost all their original fresco decoration, the mosaic covering is practically intact. The coating is made of thin white mosaic framed by a wide black frame. There is a decorative threshold between the entrance hall and the atrium, the central living room of the House of the Restaurant, consisting of black decorative figures that form a stylized floral pattern on a white background. The entrance hall opens into a rectangular atrium with a central home pool. The walls of the atrium retain several large areas of plaster, which, apparently, were covered with large red panels decorated with mythological scenes, but none of them remain in place.

When the House of the Restaurant was excavated, then the accepted practice was to rob the house of everything that could be carried away. It should be noted that this barbaric practice, however, has preserved for the history of beautiful murals that would otherwise have been lost. The murals in question include Piram and Euba, Aeneas (who fled from Troy) before Queen Dido (the legendary queen who founded Carthage) and Bacchus with Ariadne. These frescoes can now be seen in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

On the north and south sides of the atrium are large ala (d) and (d '), which are in the same condition as the atrium itself. A door in the south ala wall (d ') gives access to the second atrium (l). The best preserved rooms in the main part of the house are bedrooms-cubula (e) and (f).

The cubiculum room (e) is decorated with frescoes in the fourth style with large red panels with internal decorative borders on a yellow background above a lower geometric frieze. The central panel on each wall contained a mythological scene. On the one remaining scene, Venus is shown with a group of cupids. The cubiculum (f) on the south side of the pharynx is similarly decorated with red panels on a yellow background. All three central mythological scenes exist today. They may not be of the highest quality, but they demonstrate naive simplicity.

Architecture and Layout

The House of the Restaurant exemplifies typical Pompeian domestic architecture from the late Republican or early Imperial period, adapted for multifunctional use. It features a straightforward layout centered around an atrium, with elements of both residential comfort and potential commercial activity due to its brothel connection.

Entrance and Anteroom (Room "a" - Fauces): Visitors entered via a doorway on Vicolo del Centenario, stepping into a corridor (fauces) with an intact white mosaic floor framed by black borders. A decorative threshold mosaic leads into the main atrium, providing a welcoming yet modest transition. The corridor's walls, though now largely bare, would have guided guests toward the home's heart.
Atrium (Room "b"): The rectangular central atrium served as the house's focal point, featuring a central impluvium (rainwater basin) for collecting water from the compluvium (roof opening). The impluvium was found in ruins during excavation, with only fragments of white marble cladding surviving in the southeast corner. The floor is made of opus signinum (a type of Roman concrete with embedded tiles), decorated with rows of small star patterns formed by four white stones and one black stone each— a simple yet elegant motif. The atrium's walls, once adorned with red panels framing mythological scenes, have lost most of their frescoes to time and removal. Pilasters (decorative half-columns) flank doorways, adding architectural interest. From here, doorways branch to various rooms: north to a triclinium (dining room, room "f") and north ala (wing, room "e"); east to a small room ("c") and the entrance; south to the south ala ("i") and another room ("m"); and west to a peristyle (garden courtyard, "k"). The atrium also connects to a second atrium area, indicating the merger of the original buildings.
Peristyle and Garden Areas: To the west of the atrium lies a peristyle (room "k"), a colonnaded open space that would have provided light, air, and possibly a small garden. This area links to additional rooms, emphasizing the house's expansion for utility or business purposes.
Alae (Wings): Flanking the atrium are two large alae—open alcoves used for storage, display, or ancillary activities. The north ala (room "e") and south ala (room "i") are in poor condition today, but they would have housed household shrines (lararia) or valuables. Doorways from these alae lead to cubiculi (bedrooms) and other spaces.

Key Rooms and Decorative Features

Several rooms stand out for their preservation and artistic elements, primarily in the Fourth Style of Pompeian wall painting (characterized by intricate, illusionistic designs from the post-62 AD earthquake period).

Cubiculum (Room "e"): This bedroom off the north ala features Fourth Style decoration with red panels on yellow backgrounds. Central mythological scenes include Venus accompanied by cupids, symbolizing love and domestic harmony—themes fitting for a space potentially tied to the house's brothel aspect.
Cubiculum/Triclinium (Room "f"): Adjacent to the north wall of the atrium, this room (possibly a dining or reception area) retains three surviving fresco panels in a naive, simplistic style. The decorations, also in Fourth Style, depict red panels on yellow grounds with mythological vignettes, adding a touch of cultural refinement to the otherwise utilitarian home.

Other rooms, labeled "c" through "u" in excavation plans, include smaller cubiculi, storage areas, and service spaces. The overall decor, while not as opulent as in elite villas like the House of the Vettii, used vibrant colors and mythological motifs to elevate the ambiance. Notable lost frescoes, now housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, include "Pyramus and Thisbe" (a tragic love story), "Aeneas before Queen Dido" (from Virgil's Aeneid), and "Bacchus with Ariadne" (a Dionysian romance). These were likely looted or carefully removed post-excavation.

Private brothel

Notable Artifacts and Cultural Significance

Beyond structural elements, the site yielded practical artifacts like the aforementioned bronze door studs (for ornamental reinforcement) and iron key, underscoring security concerns in a mixed-use property. No grand treasures were found, aligning with its middle-class or commercial status rather than aristocratic luxury.
The house's connection to a lupanarium highlights Pompeii's social dynamics: brothels were common and integrated into urban life, often family-run with discreet access. This blend of residence and business offers insights into everyday Roman economics, where homes doubled as income sources. Today, the site is in poor condition, with faded walls and restricted access, but it contributes to understanding Pompeii's diverse housing stock—far from the grandeur of famous villas, yet rich in historical texture.