VII.9.33 Pompeii. Caupona of Donatus and Verpus or House of the King of Prussia.

Linked to VII.9.34. Excavated 1822. (Vico d’Eumachia 19).

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. December 2005. Entrance doorway, looking towards south and west walls.

On the left is a doorway, linking to VII.9.34.

                                             

VII.9.33 Pompeii. December 2005. Doorway to dormitory in south wall.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. December 2005. Looking towards west wall.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. Looking west from entrance.

Photographed 1970-79 by Günther Einhorn, picture courtesy of his son Ralf Einhorn.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. South-west corner with remains of wall decorations.

Photographed 1970-79 by Günther Einhorn, picture courtesy of his son Ralf Einhorn.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. December 2005. Cistern mouth.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. December 2005. Cistern mouth and marble edging.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. December 2005.

Remains of large landscape painting on west wall, with the lararium painting below.

According to Jashemski, this site, excavated in 1822-23, was badly damaged by the earthquake or at an earlier period.

It had 3 rooms on the right (north).

On the left a door to the adjacent shop, and behind this, a dormitory, a latrine, a stairway leading to the upper floor, and a kitchen. 

Fiorelli believed the site was used as a caupona. 

The area between the rooms on the right and on the left is difficult to explain. 

The rear wall opposite the wide entrance was decorated with a landscape with a lararium painting in the lower right.

The shrine was framed by a twining vine shoot on which various birds were perched. 

The excavators expected the structure underneath the aedicula to be an altar, but it was found to be a fountain filled with lapilli and other volcanic debris. 

The mosaic pavement around the fountain pictured a variety of dolphins and geese. 

The mosaic, however, had been damaged by later construction.

It would appear that the area in which the fountain stood was once a garden. It may have lasted, in part, as a garden – in part, as a courtyard.

She pointed out that Boyce called the area of the Lararium “a kitchen”.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.189).

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. December 2005. Lararium painting of Mars and Venus standing side by side.

According to Boyce, on the west wall of the kitchen, near the hearth and above a masonry basin, was a lararium painting.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.68, no.303 and Pl.25,2).

Lararium painting of Mars and Venus with a blazing altar in front of each of them.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.189).

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. Lararium painting on west wall.

Photographed 1970-79 by Günther Einhorn, picture courtesy of his son Ralf Einhorn.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. West wall, lararium painting and masonry basin below.

Photographed 1970-79 by Günther Einhorn, picture courtesy of his son Ralf Einhorn.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. December 2005.

Remains of masonry basin or fountain under the lararium painting.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. December 2005. Kitchen area.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. December 2005. Looking west, from site of steps to upper floor at VII.9.32.

At rear is a room on the north side of the atrium of VII.9.33.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. December 2005. First room on north side.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. July 2008. Downpipes in north-east corner of first room on right.

Photo courtesy of Barry Hobson.

 

VII.9.33 Pompeii. Wall painting of man and woman with the words “Lente Impelle”.

According to L. Eschebach this was found in “first room on right”.

See Eschebach, L., 1993. Gebäudeverzeichnis und Stadtplan der antiken Stadt Pompeji. Köln: Böhlau. (p.315).

The painting was discovered on 11^th October 1822.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number: 27690.

See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno di Napoli. Naples : Nicola Longobardi. (p.125).