VI.17.10 Pompeii. Casa della Danzatrice or Casa di Diana I.
Linked to VI.17.9 and VI.17.11. First excavated c.1763-4.
Part 1 Part 2
According to Fiorelli –
“VI.17.10-11. La
casa attigua preceduta da piccola vestibolo, seguito da tre gradini che la
sollevano ancor piu dal livello della strada, tiene ai fianchi del suo atrio
tuscanico sei cubicoli, ed ai lati della porta un sacrario (?), nonche la
gradinata che montava alle stanze superiori; altra avendone pure adiacente alla
porta, con ingresso dalla via, che discendeva nel piano sottoposto, sporgente
sul pendio del colle al pari di varie altre case che vi stanno d’appresso.
Oltre le ali essa mostra il tablino costeggiato da un’oecus, dalla fauce, e dal
triclinio, cui sembra, facesse seguito un loggiato”.
See Fiorelli, G.
(1875). Descrizione, (p.432).
See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.159)
(Translation –
“The neighbouring house preceded by a small vestibule,
followed by three steps that take you up even more from the street level, leads
to the tuscanic atrium with six cubicula and a shrine (?) at the side of the
doorway, as well as the steps which led up to the upper rooms; another (steps) adjacent
to the entrance doorway, and with another entrance from the street, that went
down to the floor below which was protruding on the slope of the hill along
with several other houses. Other than
the alae, the tablinum next to an oecus, the fauces, and the triclinium, which it
seemed would have been followed by a terrace, could be seen”.
VI.17.9, 10 and 11 Pompeii, on west side of Via Consolare.
1824 plan of house at street level as drawn by Mazois
According to Mazois, fig. 1 of plate XXVIII, gave the plan of a dwelling, which although built on a narrow plot, it was a considerable dwelling because the terraced floors were built one above the other.
He considered the plan of the dwelling as being quite ordinary:
1: Entrance
2: Atrium
3. Impluvium with cistern mouth at the side
4: Several rooms, (cubicula?)
5: Alae, in one of which were two tubs
6: Tablinum, open onto the terrace
9 and 10: Terraces, the one marked by the number 9 had a vaulted room (? une treille) on one of its sides that communicated with the lower floor
11: Passage/corridor that descended directly from the street to the lower floors
12: Another passage which gave entry to the dwelling by the corridor
13: Corridor, and leading to the floor below the first terrace by the gentle ramp 14,
14: Ramp
15: Courtyard
16, 17, 18, 19: Service rooms for the slaves, kitchen, eating area, etc.
The living rooms would have been on the first floor, and the stairs for getting there would have been above corridor 14, as indicated by the first stone steps that one notices at the corner of the courtyard.
20: Shops
See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei : Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot, p. 71, pl. XXVIII, fig I, house at street level.
VI.17.9, 10 and 11 Pompeii, on west side of Via Consolare.
1824 plan of the two lower floors as drawn by Mazois
The first of the two lower floors was devoted to the family, and the second to the baths.
1: Arriving by the gentle slope in passage marked 11, in fig. 1.
2: Sequel to the gentle ramp to go down to the floor below,
3: Rooms for the servants,
4: Rooms,
5: Small room,
6: Windowed salon,
7: Triclinium communicating by la treille (arbour/the vaulted room?) where the room 15, together with the corridor 16, leads to the kitchen area placed in the rooms on the floor below, as one sees in fig.1;
8: Room heated in the winter by the baths placed below
9: Entrance to the baths, under the previous floor
10: Corridor or porticoes in front of the baths, the top of the front wall still supports the terrace. There is the appearance that this portico, as those in other houses, gave onto the garden, and the garden onto the sea.
11: Room in the baths area,
12: Baths area,
13: Steam room,
14: 15: Two rooms in the baths area,
16: Communication passage with the rooms,
17: Way below, under the city walls
See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei : Second Partie. Paris : Firmin Didot, p. 71, pl. XXVIII, fig II, house at lower level.
VI.17.9, 10 and 11 Pompeii on west side of Via Consolare, as drawn by Mazois 1824.
(Note the large figure paintings shown on the “north” wall of the atrium: this would have been the area bombed in 1943.)
Plate XXIX offers a drawing of the house in order to make the above plans clearer.
The dotted lines aa and bb indicate the height that the walls are conserved, and those that have been interpreted in order to draw the restoration of this house.
The lines dd and cc similarly indicate the line and height of the stairs and the passage/corridor marked 11, on the plan at fig.1.
See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei : Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot, pl. XXIX, (p.71).
VI.17.10 and 9, Pompeii. Pre-1804.
Drawing by Piranesi of –
plan of atrium area, on left, linked to corridor leading to courtyard and rooms of VI.17.9, in house opposite the House of the Surgeon.
VI.17.9-27 Pompeii. Detail from 1827 plan by Ing.
del. R: Officio Topografico, Gaspare Marchesi.
Now in the Istituto Geografico Militare, Corpo di
Stato Maggiore, Sezione di Napoli, Cartella 82.24.
See Kockel V. 2005. Un capitolo dimenticato
della cartografia di Pompei Gaspare Marchesi e il Reale Officio Topografico di
Napoli:
Rivista di Studi Pompeiana 16, pp. 11-36.
VI.17.9, on left with letter G, then followed by 10, then 13, 16-17, and 23-25, on right.
Part of a plan by Francesco La Vega c.1800-1810. Now in Naples Museum.
DAIR
76.1262. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches
Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.
VI.17. 1 – 28, Insula Occidentalis, dated 9th January 1954, detail from RAF Aerial photo. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.
Starting from the right, the white reconstructed dwelling would be VI.17.27/8, House of the Skeletons, opposite the Vicolo di Mercurio.
On its left would be VI.17.25/26, opposite the House of Sallust, and next to that, on its left, would be the street level peristyle of VI.17.23, with a view of the remaining floors beneath, all part of the House of the Lion.
On its left, divided by a wall, front to back, would be VI.17.17/16, the House of C. Ceio.
On its left, another dividing wall would separate VI.17.13, the House of C. Nivillio
On its left would be VI.17.10/9, with some of the rear remaining floors underneath no.10, the House of the Danzatrice/of House of Diana I, opposite the House of the Surgeon.
Then there is the small house at VI.17.5, the House of Popidius Rufus
On the left of the photo is the rear of the area from VI.17.1/2/3/4.
VI.17.10, 9 and 8 Pompeii. October 2014. Street façade on west side of Via Consolare, looking south. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. May 2011.
Looking south-west on Via Consolare towards raised pavement outside of entrance steps. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2021. Entrance doorway with
steps. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. May 2011. Looking west towards entrance steps and doorway. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2021.
Entrance doorway with steps. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2004. Entrance doorway with steps.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. May 2005. Ramp in pavement outside entrance doorway on Via Consolare.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance doorway, south side.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking west across atrium from entrance.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2015. Entrance doorway steps down to street level.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2021. Looking south from entrance towards steps to lower floor, (see VI.17.11).
The doorway on right, would lead to the south-east corner of
the atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2015. Looking south from entrance towards steps to lower floor, (see VI.17.11).
The doorway on right, would lead to the south-east corner of the atrium.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. December 2007. Steps to lower floor, on south side of entrance, see VI.17.11.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2021.
South side of
atrium, with doorway to cubiculum in south-east corner of atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2021.
Looking through doorway to cubiculum on south side of atrium, with remaining decoration in south-west corner.
Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2015. South side of atrium, with two of the three doorways to cubicula.
According to Allroggen-Bedel –
The room described by La Vega, as No.10, corresponded to the preserved remains in the middle room left from atrium, the doorway on right of photo.
According to La Vega –
“From the 9th to the 17th of November we excavated this
room, which had a floor of black mosaic with white border all around, and white
rosettes sprinkled throughout, and it was found patched up by the ancients at a
site close to the threshold. The plaster was painted with following format: Red
zoccolo with a few lines, and large fronds of herbs, the panels above were
yellow with vases/pots in the middle, the bands that one could distinguish were
red, decorated with grotesque architecture: the decoration above had a white
background with various bands and grotesque architecture. On one side of this
room, there was in the wall, an undercut recess that ends with the floor. It was preserved without lifting a piece. (Si
e conservato senza levarci alcun pezzo).”
VI.17.10 Pompeii. December 2007. South side of atrium from entrance. Looking towards doorways of two of the three cubicula.
According to Allroggen-Bedel –
In the room next to the Ala, the room on the right from room No.10 (room 10 is the doorway on right of photo), there is no depression for the bed.
In the room on the left (from room No.10), next to the steps, you can still see the remains of a red zoccolo, and a yellow middle zone.
The remains of these decorations agree with La Vega description of room No.13 –
“From the 9th to the 18th of December, we excavated the indicated small room. The floor was of slabs of crushed brick (lastrico di mattoni pesto).
In the plaster the zoccolo has the red background: the bottom of the panels that lay above the zoccolo was yellow with some birds in the middle; the bands that divided these squares were red, embellished with grotesque architecture, which still adorned the decoration above that had a white background.”
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2015. Looking towards south-west corner of atrium, and site of possible third cubiculum.
According to Allroggen-Bedel – In the room on the right of the middle cubiculum, there is no depression for the bed.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2021.
Looking along west
side of atrium towards north-west corner, on right. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2021. Looking towards north side
of atrium from entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2015. Looking towards north side of atrium.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. December 2007. North side of entrance and atrium, remains of three rooms.
(see also VI.17.9 for area of rooms bombed in 1943, as described by Garcia y Garcia).
The white marble threshold, left of centre, would have led into a room with the entrance at VI.17.9.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. September 2021.
Area on north side of entrance doorway. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. December 2007. Remains of sacrarium? or remains of staircase to upper floor?, on north side of entrance.
According to Boyce, Fiorelli reported here a shrine, no longer to be seen:
“La
casa……tiene ai lati della porta un sacrario”.
See Fiorelli, G., 1875. Descrizione di Pompei. Napoli, p. 432.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus
of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome:
MAAR 14. (p.59, no.231)
See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.159)
VI.17.10 Pompeii. December 2007. Atrium looking west across site of rooms bombed in 1943.
VI.17.10 Pompeii. December 2007. Atrium with remains of impluvium?
According to Allroggen-Bedel, on La Vega’s plan, the atrium may have been room 5.
The ala, in the top right of the photo under the branches, may have been room 2.
The tablinum, behind the bushes on the left of the photo, may have been room 7.
According to
Allroggen-Bedel, “the Giornale dello Scavo di Pompei, e propriamente della
strada e case contigue alla Porta della Citta, relative alla pianta in questo
inclusa held at the Biblioteca della Societa Napoletana di Storia Patria”,
gives far more details of the rooms being excavated than that found in PAH.
It also contains a plan by La Vega, which gives room numbers.
Based on this Giornale she wrote – the three rooms on the left of the atrium are preserved, whereas on the right they are no more, so the identification of La Vega’s described rooms must be mainly based on the Mazois plan.