92. HGW24
Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes or Villa di Diomede.
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12 Plan
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Looking north across east portico towards doorway to lower floor and
garden. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Doorway at east end of north portico, leading to lower floor. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Looking north through doorway to lower floor. Photo courtesy of Klaus
Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Steps up to north-east corner of front
peristyle from lower level. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. May 2024.
Detail of wall plaster on east side of steps up to north-east corner of front peristyle from lower level.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. December 2006. Steps down to lower level from north-east corner of front peristyle.
(Villa Diomedes Project – east of area 73).
HGW24, Villa of
Diomedes, Pompeii. May 2024.
East wall at side of
stairs, with lararium niche in upper wall with window below. Photo courtesy of
Klaus Heese.
According to Boyce,
Just to the right of
the main entrance six steps lead down to the servants’ quarters, and in the
wall beside this stair is a piccolo larario – apparently only a niche,
in which a statuette of Minerva was found.
See Boyce G. K.,
1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii.
Rome:
MAAR 14, (p.97, no.476).
See Giacobello,
F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito
domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.221, no.3).
HGW24, Villa of
Diomedes, Pompeii. May 2024.
Upper east wall at
side of stairs, with lararium niche in upper wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus
Heese.
HGW24, Villa of
Diomedes, Pompeii. May 2024.
Window in east wall
at side of stairs leading to lower level. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Looking towards north wall and doorway into HG25, part of the Villa on
the north side.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. March 2024.
Looking west along corridor to lower floor, and doorway into HG25, part of
the Villa on the north side.
Photo courtesy of
Giuseppe Ciaramella.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Looking west across room at base of steps from
peristyle area. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
(Fontaine – room 5,18)
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Doorway into the “wagon’s entrance”, in the
north wall of this room. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
(Fontaine – room 5,18 with doorway into 7,1)
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Looking west towards north-west corner, corridor to
lower area, and doorway into HGW25. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. May 2024.
Looking towards south wall and doorway to room in west wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Doorway to room 5,17 in west wall of room 5,18. Photo courtesy of Klaus
Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Room 5,17, looking towards west wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. September 2021. Looking west through square hole in wall, on south side of entrance at HGW25.
The doorway on the right, would lead to the “wagon’s entrance” in the side entrance. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. May 2006. Looking west through square hole in exterior wall, on south side of entrance at HGW25.
The doorway on the right, would lead to the “wagon’s entrance” in the side entrance.
HGW24 Pompeii. December 2006.
Corridor down to lower level. On the right is the doorway linking to the wagon entrance of HGW25.
In the room with the doorway, on left of photo, no.49 on the plan by La Vega would be found.
(Villa Diomedes Project – area 73, looking towards doorway to area 67, and corridor 62, centre right).
(Fontaine, doorway to room 5,17).
From PAH 1,1, p.265, 20th June 1772, addendum p.127 and 158. (see La Vega plan: no. 49 on plan).
Continuing the excavation by dropping down from the peristyle into the lower apartments and underneath, we have freed a corridor, which from the peristyle goes down to the said underneath floor, and in a small room adjoining to this we have found inside a cupboard (un armadio) a terracotta (di creta nolana) cup, (diameter approximately 0.13m and 0.04m high), and amongst the soil we have found a coin entirely corroded, and a piece of bronze used as a hair/hat pin.
From PAH, addendum, p.127 –
Relazione delle antichita, che si
vanno ritrovando nella masseria del sig. D. Giovanni Milano parsonaro, che si
era principiata al di 14 Febbraro 1771. (Report of Antiquities found .....)
“No.49. A di 17 giugno 1772. Si e trovata una
ciotolo di creta rossa fina, alta on.2, diam. on.6.”
From PAH addendum, p.158 - 20 Giugno 1772. - Corridojo che dal peristilio scende nel piano sottoposto; no.49 pianta
di La Vega.
HGW24 Pompeii. October 2023.
Looking west along corridor down to lower (garden) level. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
(Villa Diomedes Project – corridor 62).
(Fontaine, room 5,12).
HGW24 Pompeii. March
2024.
Looking west along corridor down to lower (garden) level. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
(Villa Diomedes Project – corridor 62).
(Fontaine, room 5,12).
HGW24 Pompeii. December 2006. Corridor down to lower level.
(Villa Diomedes Project – corridor 62).
(Fontaine, room 5,12).
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Doorway to room 5,16, on south side of corridor
5,12. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Room 5,16, south-east corner. Photo courtesy of
Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. December 2006. South wall of room to left side of corridor, leading down to lower level.
(Villa Diomedes Project – area 66)
(Fontaine, room 5,16, on south side of corridor leading to lower level).
From PAH 1,1, p.264, 16th May 1772, addendum p. 127 and 158. (see No. 39 below, on the plan by La Vega).
In a room adjoining to the other that we have freed in the past week, we have found –
Two bronze vases/pots with a handle, and a hinge of a key for a conduit, and other fragments of the same metal, an iron hatchet and hoe.
From PAH, addendum, p.127 –
Relazione delle
antichita, che si vanno ritrovando nella masseria del sig. D. Giovanni Milano
parsonaro, che si era principiata al di 14 Febbraro 1771. (Report of
Antiquities found .....)
“No.39. A di 14 maggio 1772. Si e trovato
quanto siegue: Un vaso ad un manico alto. on.15, diam. al ventre on. 9, alla
bocca on. 4 e mezza, al fondo on. 4; questo e alquanto rotto nella bocca,
ammaccato un poco il labbro, il manico distaccato, quale manico viene ornato di
un mascherone al piede, ed altri piccioli scherzi. Altro vaso ad un manico alt.
on. 7 e mezza, diam. al ventre on. 7, alla bocca on. 4 e mezza; questo e tutto
frantumato e mancante. Un maschio di
fonte alto on. 9, diam. on. 2, l’occhio per l’acqua diam on. 1 vantaggiata; ed
alcuni diversi pezzetti di frantumi. Il tutto di bronzo, come cadute
dall’appartamento superiore. Un’accetta ed una zappella di ferro.”
From PAH
addendum, p.158 - 16 Maggio 1772. No.39 pianta di La Vega.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Room 5,16, south-west corner. Photo courtesy of
Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Corridor 5,12, looking west to lower level, from doorway to 5,15, on
left.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. December 2006.
Corridor down to lower level. No.36 on the La Vega plan was found in the room with the doorway in the left wall.
(Villa Diomedes Project – area 62, with doorways to area 64, on left).
(Fontaine, rooms 5,14/5,15 on south side of corridor leading from upper to lower floor).
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023. Doorway to room 5,15. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. December 2006. Doorway to room to side of corridor, leading down to lower level.
(Villa Diomedes Project – area 62 corridor, with doorways to area 64).
(Fontaine, rooms 5,14/5,15 on south side of corridor leading from upper to lower floor).
HGW24 Pompeii. December 2006. Room to side of corridor, leading down to lower level.
(Villa Diomedes Project – area 64).
(Fontaine, rooms 5,14/5,15 on south side of corridor looking west towards 5,14, from 5,15 through doorway).
From PAH 1,1, p.263, 3rd May 1772, (and addendum p. 126 and 158 – originals after the photos). (see La Vega plan: no. 36)
We continue the excavation, where we have found a room in the floor below to the main, equal to the garden covered by a vault. The walls are decorated in the usual grotesque style on a background mainly red, and with a black zoccolo and white frieze, the vault above was also with a white background, but all the plaster had partly fallen and was partly in a bad state: the floor of this same room was of slabs of marble flakes, and nothing was found here.
From PAH, addendum, p.126 –
Relazione delle antichita, che si vanno ritrovando nella masseria del sig.
D. Giovanni Milano parsonaro, che si era principiata al di 14 Febbraro 1771. (Report of Antiquities found .....)
N.36. A di 8 maggio 1772. Si e trovato in questa stanza un gummolo di creta
ordinaria a due manichi, alto on. 6½, diam. nel mezzo on. 4½, alla bocca on. 2.
From PAH addendum, p.158 -
3 Maggio 1772. Pare che sia quella segnata col
no. 36 della pianta di La Vega.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Corridor 5,12 at west end onto garden area. Photo courtesy of Klaus
Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. December 2006. Corridor down to lower level, with doorway to two rooms, on right.
(Villa Diomedes Project – corridor area 62 with doorway to area 74, on right).
(Fontaine, room 6a, and 6b).
From PAH 1,1, p.264, 9th May 1772, addendum p. 126-7 and p. 158. (see No. 37 below, on the plan by La Vega, found in room 6b).
In the same dwelling we have evacuated a room in the floor below the main, equal to the garden covered with a barrel vault, the walls are white, and the floor was of earth.
Among the objects found near to the room discovered in the past week, we have found a piece of tile with two holes and circular mark, in the middle of which there was a pinecone and two leafy branches, and the words around were -
POTISCI TI . CLAVDI . AVG . L
According to Pagano & Prisciandaro, this inscription is (CIL X 8042, 36b).
See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio
sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno
di Napoli. Naples: Nicola Longobardi. (p.72).
From PAH, addendum, p.126-127,
Relazione delle antichita, che si
vanno ritrovando nella masseria del sig. D. Giovanni Milano parsonaro, che si
era principiata al di 14 Febbraro 1771. (Report of Antiquities found .....)
“No.37. A di 8 maggio 1772. Si e trovato una
regiola di terracotta di pal. 1 e 1/3 (terzo) per pal. 1, grossezza on.10.
Questo pezzo tiene due buchi fatti per qualche uso, e nel mezzo vi e un merco
circolare che non si distingue, circondato da questo iscrizione:
ma essendo la lettere corrose
dubito di qualche diversita.
From PAH addendum, p.158 -
9 Maggio 1772. Rapporto di D. Pietro La Vega in assenza di suo fratello,
andato a Persano; no.37 pianta di La Vega.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Doorway into room 6a. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. March 2024.
Room 6a, steps to lower level. Photo courtesy of
Giuseppe Ciaramella.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Room 6a, steps to lower level. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. December 2006. Looking into doorway (Fontaine, room 6a), on north side of corridor down to lower level.
The steps on the left would have descended into the cellar.
(Villa Diomedes Project – looking into area 74.
From PAH 1,1, p.268-270, 12th December 1772, and addendum p. 128 and 159 (see No.60 below, on the plan by La Vega).
Having begun in the past week to lift earth in a corridor
that was still covered by a vault around the garden of the house already
mentioned, and which was almost underground: now having excavated the corridor
for not many Neapolitan palms (palmi), there
were 18 adult skeletons found, other than those of a boy and of a baby (“piccirillo”)……………
The flood of smooth material from the eruption, ash which fell after that of the lapilli, would have become very tenacious material after some time, which would have surrounded all the bodies completely. The ashes of the clothing were found, but these preserved the quality of the material, which had surrounded their form, with the result that they stood out well and the rarity of their weft, and their thickness.
To give some evidence of what one believes to have observed, I have thought to cut and preserve as many as 16 pieces of those marks of the bodies, where in one amongst the others one could distinguish the breast of a woman covered by a robe, and then on all of them there were the remains of their clothing, as far as two and three one on top of the other. I also took a skull with diligence, and all these things I have sent to the Museum.
What little I could distinguish of their clothing was, that many had head cloths, which went down over the shoulders; that the clothes resembled up to two or three on top of each other; the stockings/socks were of linen/cloth or canvas or cloth cut as long trousers; (che le calze erano di tela o panno tagliate come lunghi calzoni); some had no shoes at all. About the shoes, however, I think that those seen would have been of the low servants, - distinguishing itself well and from its ornaments, and the subtlety of its garments, and of the coins that were close, that of (the skeleton) of a woman was distinct from the others.
Near to these bodies, the following things were found -
(See page PAH p.269 for list of finds, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron, Wood, Glass)
According to Pagano and Prisciandaro, some of the finds provenanced from here, are -
Gold: NAP 24833,
NAP 25154 (Museo Ercolanese), NAP 27215, NAP 27319 (Museo Ercolanese);
Wood: NAP 77358
and NAP 27247.)
See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno di Napoli. Naples: Nicola Longobardi. (p.73-4)
In this same underground, we hope to find more as it is very large, but the excavation here is subject to difficulty, and especially for the gas (mofeta), that for the most part it is strong here. To this end, we are removing all the air/vent holes that once were, by one part or the other on the exterior of this corridor, in order that they can be opened and advance the excavation and give as much ventilation as possible, by means of a vent to remove the noxious fumes: and this advantage you can have, by leaving the house above exposed, otherwise it would be almost impossible to do so.
From PAH, addendum, p.128
– 129 – (No.60 on the plan by La Vega).
Relazione delle antichita, che si
vanno ritrovando nella masseria del sig. D. Giovanni Milano parsonaro, che si
era principiata al di 14 Febbraro 1771. (Report of Antiquities found.....)
From PAH addendum, p.159 - 12 Decembre 1772 – Cripto-portico intorno il
giardino nella medesima casa. Diciotto scheletri, oltre due altri di fanciulli,
trovati nel cripto-portico; no.60 pianta di La Vega.
Poggia di cenere con acqua, che
si scorge esservi corsa. Impressioni lasciate nel terreno. Capelli ed abiti
de’suddetti scheletri. Spiragli intorno il cripto-portico, per la ventilazione
e la luce.
From PAH 1,1, p.270-1, 19th December 1772.
We have removed in the exterior of the corridor, to be able to open the opening as we have already said. We hope to find some things by the diligence that we continue to use: sifting the earth around the skeletons, we have effectively found the following - (for finds list, Silver, Bronze, see PAH, p.271).
In the extremity of the niche of the baths’ area, lifting some portion of soil, we found a plate/slab/sheet/ (piastra) of bronze lock with its hinge.
From PAH, addendum, p.130
– (No.66 on the plan by La Vega).
Relazione delle antichita, che si
vanno ritrovando nella masseria del sig. D. Giovanni Milano parsonaro, che si
era principiata al di 14 Febbraro 1771. (Report of
Antiquities found.....)
“No.66. Nella stessa settimana (18 febbraio
1773). Si sono trovati nella cantina due scheletri, con solo quattro monete di
bronzo; ma nel cernere la terra se n’e trovata un’altra tutta uguale, di diam.
min. 6, e per la ruggine non si distinguono.”
From PAH addendum, p.159 - 20 Febbriao 1773 – Altri due scheletri con monete ed anelli; no.63 pianta
di La Vega. Altri due scheletri con monete; no.66 pianta di La Vega.
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023.
Room 6b, corridor leading east. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
HGW24 Pompeii. December 2006. Lower level. Looking east along corridor leading to upper level.
Doorway to room at west end of south side of corridor near east portico, on right.
(Villa Diomedes Project – area 62 corridor, with doorway to area 61, on right).
(Fontaine, room
5,13, on right).
HGW24 Pompeii. Villa of Diomedes. October 2023. Corridor 5,12, looking
west towards garden area.
On the left is the doorway to room 5,13. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
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10 Part
11 Part
12 Plan