VI.3.20 Pompeii. Bar of Fortunata. Excavated 1806.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. December 2018. Looking north towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. October 2009. Looking north towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. 1999. Looking north towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. Looking north towards bar, in junction of Via Consolare and Vicolo di Modesto.

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

VI.3.20 Pompeii. 1968.

Looking north towards bar in Via Consolare and fountain at junction with Vicolo di Modesto. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

J68f1644

VI.3.20 Pompeii. 1851. Looking north towards the bar.

Photo by Alfred-Nicolas Normand titled Carrefour de Fortunata (Crossroads of Fortunata).

Photo Ministère de la Culture (France), Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine, dist. RMN-GP.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. 1959. Looking north towards counter/podium. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

J59f0095

VI.3.20 Pompeii. September 2019. Looking north from fountain towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. December 2018. Looking north to entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. September 2019. Looking north towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking north towards entrance doorway.

There used to be an electoral recommendation, found on the left of the doorway where remains of plaster can still be seen.

According to Della Corte, this is a thermopolium with two rooms annexed for the entertainment of the customers and a rustic room with a staircase leading to the upper floor. The manageress or owner was a woman, Fortunata, as proved by a painted programma near to one of the doors.

This showed Fortunata recommending the candidate M. Casellio Marcello.

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino, p. 42.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. Painting by Breton c.1855, showing electoral recommendation on the left of the doorway.

On the left is Via Consolare, on the right is Vicolo di Modesto.

See Breton, Ernest. 1855. Pompeia, decrite et dessine : Seconde édition. Paris, Baudry, pl. 1.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. Engraving c.1834, showing electoral recommendation on the left of the doorway.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. Pre-1824.

Painting by J. W. Huber, looking north to bar at junction of Via Consolare with Vicolo di Modesto. On the right is the bakery at VI.6.17.

See Huber, J. W., 1824. Vues pittoresques des ruines les plus remarquables de l’ancienne ville de Pompei, Livraison II. Zurich : Huber and Fuessli, pl. 6.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. Painting c.1818.

Looking north to bar with electoral recommendation on the left of doorway, at junction of Via Consolare with Vicolo di Modesto.

On the right is the bakery at VI.6.17.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. 1819 painting, looking north towards bar, in junction of Via Consolare and Vicolo di Modesto.

See Cooke, Cockburn and Donaldson, 1827. Pompeii Illustrated: Vol. II. London: Cooke, p. 32.

Four lines of electoral recommendation are painted on the left of the doorway.

According to Della Corte, it read Fortunata cupit    [CIL IV 111]

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino, p. 42.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) it read –

Marcellum

Fortunata cupit.    [CIL IV 111]

VI.3.20 Pompeii. October 2020. Looking north-east across counter. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. September 2019. Looking north-east across counter towards rear rooms. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking north across counter.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. 1819 painting, detail of bar counter, hearth and rear wall.

See Cooke, Cockburn and Donaldson, 1827. Pompeii Illustrated: Vol. II. London: Cooke, p. 32.

According to Dyer:

“At the angle of two streets, just behind the fountain, was a small shop, called by some a thermopolium, or shop for the sale of hot drinks.

The walls were gaudily painted in blue panels with red borders, and towards the street was a counter cased with marble.

The stains left on these counters, apparently by wet drinking-glasses, have led to the identification, or supposed identification, of several such shops.”

See Dyer, T., 1867. The Ruins of Pompeii. London: Bell and Daldy.  (p.49)

VI.3.20 Pompeii. December 2005. Looking east across counter.

According to Breton:

This bar of Fortunata had a counter of masonry which held several large terracotta containers, and was covered with a marble tablet, where the footprints of cups/glasses could still be recognised.  

The liquids contained in them must have contained some acid principle which had attacked the polish of the marble.

At the rear was a higher area which held the brazier for heating various beverages.”

See Breton, E., 1855. Pompeia, decrite et dessine, (p. 219)

VI.3.20 Pompeii. May 2003. Looking east across counter. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. May 2003. Bench or counter against east wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. December 2005. Counter with hearth at north end.

According to Cooke Cockburn and Donaldson:

“The shop immediately behind the fountain is supposed to have been a thermopolium for the sale of warm drinks, with the counter elevated at a convenient height. Large amphorae, or jars, are let into the solid construction.

At the further end of the counter is a higher mass, and hollowed, as if for the reception of a brazier with fire to keep the liquors warm.

This elevated part, as well as the counter, is faced and covered with marble; and it is probable that the cups or goblets were ranged upon it in rows, ready for those who wished to be served, and thus forming a decorative appearance to the counter.

Some of these warm drinks were taken as drams, and some as strong irritants, which discharged the loaded stomach, and thus enabled the epicures to return with renewed appetite to the feast.

On the counters of some of the numerous thermopolia discovered at Pompeii, marks remain of the cups, produced by the liquor on the bottom, and which, from the corrosive appearance, is supposed to have contained honey.”

See Cooke Cockburn Donaldson: Pompeii, Pt. 2, 1827, (p. 8)

VI.3.20 Pompeii. May 2003.

Looking south across hearth at rear of counter. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. May 2003.

Looking down onto hearth from above. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. December 2005. Looking across bar-room towards two doorways to rear rooms.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. May 2013. Looking into rear room in north-west corner of bar-room. Photo courtesy of Paula Lock.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. May 2013. Niche in west wall of rear room. Photo courtesy of Paula Lock.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. May 2003. Niche in west wall of rear room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix

According to Boyce –

In the west wall of the rear room is a rectangular niche (h.0.50, w. 0.38, d.025, h. above floor 1.15), its walls coated with red stucco.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14, (p.45, no.147).

VI.3.20 Pompeii. December 2018.

Niche in west wall of rear room. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. December 2018.

Detail of niche in west wall of rear room. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. May 2013. Looking into rear room in north-east corner of bar-room. Photo courtesy of Paula Lock.

VI.3.20 Pompeii. September 2005. Fountain outside VI.3.20, with bas-relief showing an eagle holding a hare in its talons.

According to Mau, found on a wall at the south end of insula 3, was a public advertisement of a building to rent.

It has now faded and vanished but may have been on a wall between VI.3.20 and VI.3.21.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de), it read as -

Insula Arriana

Polliana Gn(aei!) Al<le=IF>i Nigidi Mai

locantur ex <K=I>(alendis) Iuli(i)s primis tanernae

cum pergulis suis et c{o}enacula

equestria et domus conductor(is)

convenito Primum Gn(aei) Al<le=IF>i

Nigidi Mai ser(vum)      [CIL IV 138]

Mau’s translation read as –

“To rent from the first day of next July, shops with the floors over them, fine upper chambers, and a house in the Arrius Pollio block owned by Gnaeus Alleius Nigidius Maius.  Prospective lessees may apply to Primus, slave of Gnaeus Alleius Nigidius Maius”.

Mau also wrote that the insula named after Arrius Pollio was thought by Fiorelli to be the so-called House of Pansa, across the street from the block on which the advertisement was found.

The identification may be correct – but a notice painted in so prominent a place might refer to a block in any part of the city.

See Mau, A., 1907, translated by Kelsey, F. W., Pompeii: Its Life and Art. New York: Macmillan. (p. 489).

According to Della Corte, CIL IV 138, was found above one of the external pilasters in the south-west corner of insula VI.6, and not here.

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.113)

Fiorelli would appear to agree with Della Corte, as he said the advertisement was found on the walls of VI.6.18/19.

This would be on the opposite side of the Vicolo di Modesto from here.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.56)