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VIII.6.10 Pompeii. Rear entrance to dwelling and peristyle.

Linked to VIII.6.1, VIII.6.9 and 11. Excavated 1819, 1881.

 

VIII.6.1.8.9.10.11 combined plans

 

VIII.6.10 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east from entrance into area of peristyle. According to Mau, the dwelling of the owner of the bakery was placed around the peristyle. It had a separate entrance doorway from the western roadway, preceded by a step covered with roof tiles, one of which had a stamp mark. See BdI, 1884, p.182. According to Jashemski, the area was not a garden but had a pavement of opus signinum. The area was enclosed on all four sides by a portico, supported by three columns on the north and south. The columns were painted black below, and red above. Today, only the bases of the columns remain. In the middle of the paved area, according to the reports, there was a rectangle lined with pieces of white and grey marble, in which pieces of yellow marble formed a cross. In the centre of the cross was a little yellow square bordered by a narrow red stripe. Today it is much damaged. The various rooms of the house opened off the portico, which could be entered directly from the street at VIII.6.9. The atrium at the front of the house had been converted into a bakery, VIII.6.1. See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.219)

VIII.6.10 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east from entrance into area of peristyle.

According to Mau, the dwelling of the owner of the bakery was placed around the peristyle.

It had a separate entrance doorway from the western roadway, preceded by a step covered with roof tiles, one of which had a stamp mark.

See BdI, 1884, p.182.

 

According to Jashemski, the area was not a garden but had a pavement of opus signinum.

The area was enclosed on all four sides by a portico, supported by three columns on the north and south.

The columns were painted black below, and red above. Today, only the bases of the columns remain.

In the middle of the paved area, according to the reports, there was a rectangle lined with pieces of white and grey marble, in which pieces of yellow marble formed a cross. In the centre of the cross was a little yellow square bordered by a narrow red stripe.

Today it is much damaged.

The various rooms of the house opened off the portico, which could be entered directly from the street at VIII.6.9. 

The atrium at the front of the house had been converted into a bakery, VIII.6.1.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.219).

 

VIII.6.10 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east from entrance into area of peristyle. According to Mau, upon entering the doorway, found on the right on the entrance wall was a “boss” in the guise of a pillar. It was 1.40m wide, 0.30 deep, and 1.15m high. It conserved remains of a coating of marble, and on the wall above were the remains of a lararium painting: it was clear, therefore, that this boss served as an altar for offerings to the domestic gods. However, it seemed in the last times it was destroyed, and that a cylindrical tufa altar (0.32 high, 0.28 diameter) was used instead, this was still lying in the same corner. See BdI, 1884, p.183 (Appena entrati troviamo a destra al muro d'ingresso una sporgenza a guisa di pilastro: è larga m. 1,40, profonda 0,30, ed era alta 1,15. Conserva avanzi d'un rivestimento di marmo, e sulla parete sovrastante sonvi quelli della pittura lararia: è chiaro dunque che questa sporgenza serviva da altare per le offerte ai Lari. Pare però che negli ultimi tempi fosse distrutta e che invece si servissero d'un'aretta cilindrica di tufo (a. 0,32, diam. 0,28) che tuttora si trova nell'angolo stesso). According to Boyce, there was a projecting base against the wall to the right of the entrance from the street, into the peristyle. (not photographed yet). Traces of the original covering with slabs of marble could be seen. Above it were the remains of the vanished lararium painting. The top of the pilaster may have served as an altar for offerings. Found nearby was a small cylindrical altar of tufa. Mau thought this may have been used instead of the pilaster top, during the last days of the city. Boyce’s reference - Bull.Inst, 1884, 183. See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.78, no.375)

VIII.6.10 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east from entrance into area of peristyle.

According to Mau, upon entering the doorway, found on the right on the entrance wall was a “boss” in the guise of a pillar.

It was 1.40m wide, 0.30 deep, and 1.15m high.

It conserved remains of a coating of marble, and on the wall above were the remains of a lararium painting: it was clear, therefore, that this boss served as an altar for offerings to the domestic gods.

However, it seemed in the last times it was destroyed, and that a cylindrical tufa altar (0.32 high, 0.28 diameter) was used instead, this was still lying in the same corner.

See BdI, 1884, p.183

(Appena entrati troviamo a destra al muro d'ingresso una sporgenza a guisa di pilastro: è larga m. 1,40, profonda 0,30, ed era alta 1,15. Conserva avanzi d'un rivestimento di marmo, e sulla parete sovrastante sonvi quelli della pittura lararia: è chiaro dunque che questa sporgenza serviva da altare per le offerte ai Lari. Pare però che negli ultimi tempi fosse distrutta e che invece si servissero d'un'aretta cilindrica di tufo (a. 0,32, diam. 0,28) che tuttora si trova nell'angolo stesso).

 

According to Boyce, there was a projecting base against the wall to the right of the entrance from the street, into the peristyle. (not photographed yet)

Traces of the original covering with slabs of marble could be seen.

Above it were the remains of the vanished lararium painting.

The top of the pilaster may have served as an altar for offerings.

Found nearby was a small cylindrical altar of tufa.

Mau thought this may have been used instead of the pilaster top, during the last days of the city.

Boyce’s reference - Bull.Inst, 1884, 183.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.78, no.375)

 

VIII.6.10 Pompeii. September 2011. Looking towards room “m”, on south side of peristyle. In the south-west corner of the peristyle were two bedrooms. According to BdI, room “n” with a window onto the western vicolo was perhaps the bedroom of a servant. The walls were crudely painted in the latest style with red zoccolo, and a white background. The floor was made of material similar to opus signinum, while part of the floor was composed of pieces of travertine. In room “m”, the place of the bed was covered by a vaulted ceiling. The walls had a simple decoration: a dark-red zoccolo which ended at the top with a narrow green stripe, above this the walls were white. On top of the white walls was a white cornice which was under a narrow blue frieze. There is no doubt that this decoration must be attributed to the time of the Third Style. A narrow door joined room “m” to the room that remained under the stairs at “L” by which you reached the upper floor. See BdI, 1884, p.184

VIII.6.10 Pompeii. September 2011. Looking towards room  “m”, on south side of peristyle.

In the south-west corner of the peristyle were two bedrooms.

According to BdI, room “n” with a window onto the western vicolo was perhaps the bedroom of a servant.

The walls were crudely painted in the latest style with red zoccolo, and a white background.

The floor was made of material similar to opus signinum, while part of the floor was composed of pieces of travertine.

In room “m”, the place of the bed was covered by a vaulted ceiling.

The walls had a simple decoration: a dark-red zoccolo which ended at the top with a narrow green stripe, above this the walls were white.

On top of the white walls was a white cornice which was under a narrow blue frieze.

There is no doubt that this decoration must be attributed to the time of the Third Style.

A narrow door joined room “m” to the room that remained under the stairs at “L” by which you reached the upper floor.

See BdI, 1884, p.184

 

 

PLAN

 

According to Mau, of the rooms surrounding the peristyle, rooms “p” and “r” merit the name of triclinium.

He could not be precise on the use of room “q”.

 

Rooms “m”, “n”, “s”, and  “t”  were bedrooms or storerooms.

 

Room “o”, he could recognise as a storeroom by the holes for the supports for the two shelves visible in the simply painted white walls, and with the finds such as a bronze saucepan and three coins, three small glass bottles, two terracotta lamps and a long iron paddle, 0.7m long.

 

Room “p” was a spacious triclinium, conserved on the rear wall was decoration made in the last style, but without paintings: a yellow panel between two of sky-blue.

The floor was of white mosaic with a black margin composed of two narrow strips; in the centre was a rectangle composed of slabs of different coloured marble enclosed in an ornamental strip in the guise of braid. At the doorway were traces of the door-frames and hinges, but not of bolts.

 

The flooring of the rooms on the left of the peristyle (north side), rooms “r”, “s”, “t”, were found 0.4m above the peristyle, and therefore accessed over a step.

Room “t” was a bedroom, and as such it is recognized from the recess for a bed that is seen in the extreme rear on the right side. It has a small window, which narrows on the outside on the northern roadway . The stucco on the walls is of inferior quality, made from brick dust.

Room “s” is similar but a little larger with the same window. The stucco on the walls is done, as usual, with marble dust. Here was found a wine-jug, a bronze tweezers and a silver coin.

Room "r" has the dimensions of a triclinium and two windows: one similar to rooms "s" and "t" and a larger one. However, the walls have no other decoration than a zoccolo 1.52 m.high, of reddish stucco made by adding brick dust. The floor consisted of a mass similar to opus Signinum with a design formed by white stones. The door is 0.65 m above the floor, and should therefore have been accessible by stairs, which are missing.

In room "q" were some areas of a low ceiling. As however the floor had collapsed (all this part is above the underground basement), nothing more precise could be said about it.

 

Of the doors around the peristyle, that of  "k", "o", "p", had door-frames; that of  "k" and "p" had a travertine threshold. In room “p”, in front of the travertine threshold another lava threshold was  placed, from the outside.

In room "m" the threshold is marble, in room "n" of lava. 

In rooms "r", "s", and "t", it seems that everything was in the act of reconstruction and that the thresholds were not yet made, although this cannot be verified with certainty because of modern restorations.

See BdI, 1884, p.183-5.

 

(Delle camere circoniacenti “p” e “r” meritano il nome di triclinii; “m” “n” “s” “t” sono cubicoli, o un'apoteca, mentre non si può precisare la destinazione di “q”.

“o” si riconosce come apotheca per i buchi dei mutuli di due scansie, risibili nelle pareti dipinte semplicemente a fondo bianco ; e con ciò vanno d'accordo i ritrovamenti

fattivi. Vi si raccolse di bronzo: una casseruola e 3 monete ; di vetro: 3 piccole bottiglie e una cornice esagona nel esterno e circolare nel mezzo, larga 0,148; di terracotta: 2 lucerne; di ferro: una paletta lunga 0,7 ..

 

“p” è uno spazioso triclinio; sulla parete di fondo è conservata la pittura fatta nell'ultimo stile, ma senza quadri : un compartimento giallo fra due celesti. Il pavimento è di musaico bianco con margine nero composto di due strette strisce; nel centro un rettangolo formato di lastre di marmo di vari colori rinchiuso in una striscia ornamentale a guisa di treccia. Alla porta sonvi le tracce di antepagmenta e di cardini, ma non di catenacci.

 

Il pavimento delle camere a sinistra del peristilio, “r”, “s”, “t”, s'inalza di m. 0,4 sopra quello del peristilio, e perciò vi si accede sopra un gradino. Però ciò rimonta ad un cambiamento posteriore, come risulta dagli avanzi della decorazione delle pareti (simile a quella di “m” ma meno conservata) che son visibili in “s” e “t”.

 

t è cubicolo, e come tale si riconosce dall' incavo per un letto che si osserva nell'estremità posteriore del lato destra. Ha una piccola finestra, che si restringe nella parte esterna, sul vico N. Lo stucco delle pareti è di qualità inferiore, fatto cioè con polvere di mattoni.

 

“s” è simile ma un poco più grande, con finestra uguale.

Lo stucco delle pareti è fatto, come al solito, con polvere di marmo. Vi si raccolse un nasiterno ed una pinzetta di bronzo e una moneta d'argento.

 

“r” ha le dimensioni d' un triclinio e due finestre : una come quelle di “s” e “t” e una più grande. Però le pareti non hanno altra decorazione che uno zoccolo alto m. 1,52 di stucco rossastro per l'aggiunta di polvere di mattoni. Il pavimento consiste di una massa simile all' opus Signinum con un disegno formato da pietruzze bianche. La porta sta di m. 0,65 sopra il pavimento, e doveva perciò essere accessibile per gradini, che però mancano.

 

In “q” erano alcune località dal soffitto basso. Siccome però il pavimento è sprofondato (tutta questa parte sta sopra il sotterraneo), così niente di più preciso si può dire intorno ad esso.

 

Delle porte intorno al peristilio quelle di “k”, “o”, “p”, avevano antepagmenta; quelle di “k” e “p” avevano la soglia di travertino, avanti alla quale ne era stata messa in “p” un' altra, dalla parte esterna, di lava.

In “m” la soglia è di marmo, in “n” di lava.

In “r”, “s”, “t”, pare che tutto fosse in ricostruzione e che le soglie non fossero ancora messe, benché ciò non possa verificarsi con certezza a causa dei restauri moderni.)

 

 

 

 

 

VIII.6.1.8.9.10.11 combined plans