I.2.23 Pompeii. Taberna of Verecundus. Excavated 1872.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2018.
Looking north to entrance doorway, from across Vicolo del Conciapelle. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2010. Looking north to entrance doorway, from across Vicolo del Conciapelle. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
According to Della Corte, it was a modest shop with rear and upstairs rooms, although its use was unknown.
He thought the owner of it was [Verec]un(d)us, as attested by the recommendation written to the left of the entrance door:
L(ucium) Ceium
Secundu(m)
II v(irum) i(ure)
d(icundo)
[...]unus
rog(at) [CIL IV 3369]
See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.274)
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance doorway, looking north.
Nothing now remains of the top of the doorway, but according to Warscher’s photo below, there would have been holes for supporting beams which would seem to indicate that there had been a balcony over the doorway.
I.2.23 Pompeii. 1935 photo taken by Tatiana Warscher. Looking north towards entrance doorway at corner of insula.
According to
Warscher, quoting Fiorelli in Descrizione, (p.46), she described –
I.2.23 “Il lato dell’isola
ha innanzi tutto una taberna divisa in due compresi, nel primo de’quali trovasi
la scaletta del meniano con latrina di sotto; e nel secondo una cella rustica
costeggiata da un passaggio, che serviva da apotheca e menava alla cucina”.
See Pappalardo,
U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per
Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.37)
See Warscher T., 1935. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2. (no.41) Rome: DAIR, whose copyright it remains.
(translation: I. 2.23 "The side of the insula had
firstly a workshop divided into two rooms, in the first where the stairs to the
upper floor with latrine below were found; and in the second a rustic room
bordered by a corridor, which was used as a storeroom and led to the kitchen.”)
Fountain at 1.5.2, Pompeii. September 2018.
Looking north-west across fountain towards entrance doorway
of I.2.23 on Vicolo del Conciapelle. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
I.2.23 Pompeii. 1935, taken by Tatiana Warscher.
Looking north-west across fountain near I.5.2/3, towards entrance doorway of I.2.23 in Vicolo del Conciapelle.
Warscher
described it as – L’incroccio del vico di Tesmo con la via tertia.
(translation: “The crossroads of the vicolo di Tesmo with
the via tertia”.
See Warscher T., 1936. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2, (no.42), Rome: DAIR, whose copyright it remains.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2018.
Looking towards east wall with niche. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2010. East wall of entrance area, with niche. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
According to Garcia y Garcia, the dividing wall of a rustic room in this area was destroyed due to the 1943 bombing.
See Garcia y
Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.37)
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2018. East wall of entrance area, with niche. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2010. Detail of niche on east wall. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
According to Boyce –
in the east wall of the main room was an arched niche (h.0.32, w.0.32, d.0.26, h. above floor 1.75).
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus
of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome:
MAAR 14. (p.23, no.15).
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2010. West wall of entrance area. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
According to CTP, on the west of the entrance was a small staircase with latrine below, but only the low supporting wall remains.
See Van der Poel, H. B., 1986. Corpus Topographicum Pompeianum, Part IIIA. Austin: University of Texas. (p.4)
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2010.
Looking north from entrance doorway towards corridor, on left, and small room, on right. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
I.2.23 Pompeii. December 2006. Looking north towards small room (on right), and corridor (on left) leading to small kitchen area.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2010.
Looking north into corridor, leading to kitchen area. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2018. Looking towards north wall of kitchen area, with niche. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2018.
Niche set into north wall of kitchen area. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2018.
Detail of niche set into north wall of kitchen area. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2010. Detail of niche in north wall. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2010.
Looking east in kitchen/latrine at end of corridor, at the rear of the small room. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2010.
Looking east, detail of lower part of kitchen/latrine. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2010.
Looking north into small room off entrance area. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
I.2.23 Pompeii. September 2010.
Looking south to entrance doorway on Vicolo del Conciapelle, from rear of corridor. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
I.2.23 (side wall) Pompeii. September 2010.
Looking north along Vicolo del Citarista. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
Side wall of I.2.23, on left. December 2006. Vicolo del Citarista looking north. I.19 unexcavated, on right.
I.2.23 Pompeii, on left. September 2005. Vicolo del Citarista looking north. I.19 unexcavated, on right.
Vicolo del Citarista between I.2.23 and I.5, Pompeii. September 2005.
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 can also 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)."