I.2.1 Pompeii. Caupona with thermopolium and rear rooms.

Linked to I.2.30, I.2.31 and I.2.32. Excavated 1872. Bombed 1943.

I.2.1 Pompeii with other entrance at I.2.32, on left, in the side wall on Vicolo del Conciapelle.

Looking east. October 2024. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

I.2.1 Pompeii with other entrance at I.2.32 in the side wall on Vicolo del Conciapelle. Looking east.   

I.2.1 Pompeii. October 2024.

Looking north-east from Via Stabiana, with Vicolo del Conciapelle, and entrance I.2.32, on right. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

I.2.1 Pompeii. October 2024. Looking north-east towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

I.2.1 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance with marble topped counter on north (left) side, on the south side was a hearth. 

At the rear, the remains of two rooms can be seen, with another rear room east behind the rear room on north side (with scaffolding).

1.2.1 Pompeii. September 2010. Entrance looking east, from Via Stabiana.

The side/rear doorway can be seen at I.2.32, on the right. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

Warscher described this as –

“I.2.1 una ampia caupona a due porta, poiché risponde anche nel vico a mezzogiorno col vano segnato dal No.32”.

See Warscher T., 1935. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2. (after photo no.1), Rome:DAIR, whose copyright it remains.

1.2.1 Pompeii. September 2010. Entrance doorway, looking east. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

According to Garcia y Garcia, the joined properties at I.2.1, 30, 31 and 32 suffered from the bombing during the night of 14-15th September 1943.

The counter was destroyed and has been wrongly reconstructed with only one of the two dolia.

The same bomb fell near entrance number I.2.30, completely destroying the latrine.

The south perimeter wall fell down, which has been restored in part.

See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.37).

I.2.1 Pompeii. October 2024. Looking north-east across counter. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

1.2.1 Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking north across marble topped counter, now restored with only one dolium. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.1 Pompeii. October 2024.

Looking east across bar-room towards rear rooms leading into I.2.31, with doorway at I.2.32, on right. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

1.2.1 Pompeii. September 2010. Doorway in south wall of bar-room onto Vicolo del Conciapelle.

Interior of doorway I.2.32, looking south onto Vicolo del Conciapelle.

According to Fiorelli, on the right (west) of the doorway would have been the hearth. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.1 Pompeii. October 2024. Looking east into rear room on south side. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

1.2.1 Pompeii. September 2010.

South wall of rear room, looking towards Vicolo del Conciapelle. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

1.2.1 Pompeii. September 2010. Looking east in rear room on south side. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

According to Fiorelli –

one of these two rear rooms had the corridor into a vast room, containing the well, a tub for washing the kitchen utensils, and a latrine under the stairs, near to the last exit onto the same street at I.2.30.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.33-34)

1.2.1 Pompeii. September 2010.

From rear of property, near I.2.31, looking west towards Via Stabiana. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.1 Pompeii. October 2024.

Looking north-east across counter into rear room on north side, with doorway into I.2.31.

Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

1.2.1 Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking east into rear room on north side. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

1.2.1 Pompeii. September 2010.

Doorway in east wall of rear room into a second rear room. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.2 and I.2.1 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking south along east side of Via Stabiana.

In Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2, (the copy at DAIR), Warscher included Viola’s description of the insula, from

Gli scavi di Pompei dal 1873 al 1878, p.10 (Pompei e la regione sotterrata dal Vesuvio nell’anno 1879, Seconda parte.

This is included at the end in all parts of I.2 on the website.

“Nel dicembre del 1873 incomminciò lo scavo di questa isola – quale dovette essere abitata da moltissime persone. Infatti, non si vede grande lusso di abitazioni, nè grandi locali, ove i ricchi pompeiani passavano la vita nell’ozio e nel piacere; si può invece osservare grand’economia di spazio, case piccole miste a botteghe e ad officine, onde non è difficile argomentare che quivi abitarono persone del ceto medio, le quali benchè agiate non godevano certamente della più splendide posizione.

E’ questa un’isola dove avennero frequentissime trasformazioni, per cui riesce difficillissimo intravvedere qual’era la sua forma primiera; non mancano però degli avanzi di costruzioni primitive, insieme ad altri di epoca posteriore, come si osserva in molti luoghi di Pompei.

La sua area è di mq.2948, ed è limitata da occidente dal cardo, a settentrione dalla via secunda, ad oriente dal vico parallelo al cardo e a mezzogiorno dalla via tertia che la separa dalle isole 1 e 5; il margine che la fiancheggia da tre lati escluso l’orientale e sulla via tertia di fronte al vano No.28 si vede un piccolo ponte, formato da massi posti a contrasto, il quale serve per unire i due margine (vedi la fotografia no.42c).”

(Note: this photo (no.42c) can be seen at I.5.1, I.2.28 and in the “streets” section under Vicolo del Conciapelle). 

See Warscher T., 1935. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2. Rome: DAIR.

(translation: "In December of 1873 the excavation of this insula began – which would have been inhabited by many people. In fact you don't see great luxury homes, nor large rooms, where rich Pompeian passed life in idleness and pleasure; if you instead look at the great economy of space, small homes and shops mixed with workshops, it's not difficult to argue that here lived people in the middle class, which however well-to-do they certainly did not enjoy the most splendid position.

This was an insula, where there were frequent transformations, for which it is difficult to glimpse what was the original form; it does not lack however, the remains of primitive constructions, alongside others of a later date, as can be seen in many places in Pompeii.

Its area was 2948 sq. m., and was bounded on the west by the “cardo”, on the north by via secunda, and east by a parallel vicolo to the “cardo” and in the south by the via tertia, that separated it from Insula’s 1 and 5:  the border that flanked it by three sides excluding the east and on via tertia opposite No. 28, you will see a small bridge, formed by a boulder placed to serve to unite the two edges, (see photo No. 42 c)."