/aa1[1].jpg)
/House%20of%20the%20Genius%20-%20plan.jpg)
The House of the Genius (Casa del Genio), located at Insula II.3 in
Herculaneum (modern Ercolano, Italy), is a partially excavated
ancient Roman residence buried under pyroclastic flows during the
eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Situated near the north end of
Insula II on the west side of Cardo III Superiore (a main
north-south street), it exemplifies a spacious noble house from the
Samnite or early Roman period, adapted through the 1st century CE.
The name derives from a small marble or bronze statuette of a Cupid
or winged Genius (a guardian spirit or family patron), discovered as
part of a candelabrum or decorative element, symbolizing Roman
beliefs in personal genii that required appeasement through
offerings to ward off disfavor. This artifact, possibly representing
the household's protective deity, highlights cultural practices
where guests offered gifts to maintain spiritual harmony. The
house's owner remains unknown, but its scale suggests an elite
resident, potentially linked to nearby structures like the House of
Argus or House of Aristides.
Excavation history marks it as
one of the first open-air digs at Herculaneum, conducted between
1828 and 1855 under Carlo Bonucci, following initial Bourbon tunnel
explorations in the 18th century that may have removed decorations.
The 1828 efforts focused on the secondary rear entrance, uncovering
part of a large peristyle and adjacent rooms, but the western half
remains buried under modern Via Mare due to overlying buildings in
Ercolano, limiting full understanding. As part of the Parco
Archeologico di Ercolano, it is accessible near the site's entrance,
with visitor reviews describing it as modest but indicative of a
person of means, though not much remains visible today. Ongoing
conservation addresses issues like plaster collapse, with recent
work in 2025 enhancing accessibility.
The House of the Genius occupies an elongated, partially excavated
plot, extending westward from Cardo III toward an inferred ancient
roadway, making it a large noble residence similar to the adjacent
House of Argus. The main entrance was from Cardo II (the northern
street), but the visible section today is accessed via a secondary
rear entrance from Cardo III, leading to the back of a large
peristyle courtyard. This peristyle, preceded by a porch or
vestibule, features a central pool with apses on both sides,
surrounded by rooms along the back wall. The layout revolves around
this peristyle for light and ventilation, with multi-story
construction inferred from upper-floor finds and beam holes,
suggesting galleries or balconies.
Architectural elements include
opus reticulatum masonry for walls, with preserved sections showing
breaches from Bourbon tunnels. The peristyle's central pool and
apses indicate a focus on leisure, while drainage systems tied to
cisterns highlight Roman engineering. Upper floors, possibly
including dining rooms with opus sectile or mosaic flooring and
paintings of small figures, were luxurious but largely unexcavated
due to the site's burial under modern structures. Plans and photos
from archaeological documentation (e.g., Bonucci's 1828 plan) depict
the eastern half, with reconstructive sections showing roofed and
unroofed areas for light. Modern images show doorways to rooms on
the east and west sides of the north end of the vestibule.
Due to partial excavation, room identifications are limited, based
on Bonucci's reports and modern photos; labels follow approximate
archaeological numbering.
Secondary Rear Entrance/Vestibule
(a): Accessed from Cardo III, this porch-like space opens to the
back of the peristyle; features a doorway with a room to the left
containing a marble table and the namesake Genius candelabrum. North
end includes doorways to rooms on east and west sides.
Peristyle
Courtyard: Large elegant central space with a pool featuring apses
on both sides; surrounded by colonnades and rooms along the back
wall. Provides light to adjacent areas; eastern part poorly
preserved.
Room on West Side of North End of Vestibule: Utility
or reception space; limited details, but part of the visible rear
section.
Room on East Side of North End of Vestibule: Similar to
west room; doorway visible in photos, likely service or storage.
Eastern Rooms: Along the peristyle's east side; in very poor
condition, with no original decorations preserved; much lost to
early excavations.
Upper-Floor Rooms: Accessed via inferred
stairs; included luxurious spaces with paintings of small figures,
opus sectile or mosaic floors (e.g., geometric designs with black
and white triangles), and possibly partial roofing for light
control. One room described as having good-quality paintings, though
details unclear.
Unexcavated western areas likely included
the main atrium, additional reception rooms, and service quarters,
extending to a western roadway.
Decorations are sparse due to early stripping and poor preservation;
upper floors featured paintings with small figures on blue and red
backgrounds, possibly including mythological scenes like a Satyr
with a Nymph or fortress views, though these may belong to adjacent
houses. Floors included geometric mosaics imitating textiles or opus
sectile with triangles; walls had embedded white marble
rose-ornaments. No intact frescoes remain in visible areas, with
eastern rooms undecorated.
Artifacts center on the namesake small
cupid or winged Genius statuette on a bronze candelabrum with two
lights, found in a room with a marble table. Other finds are lost,
but the house's scale suggests elite furnishings.