VII.6.6 Pompeii. One room shop. Excavated 1760, 1841, 1910?
According to Garcia y Garcia Region VII, Insula VI was one of the insulae most devastated over the years since its excavation.
He calls it the “Cinderella” of Pompeii. Between the years 1759 and 1762 it was vandalised and stripped by the Bourbons, then re-interred.
Then came the slow and non-systematic uncovering again before the final destruction in September 1943.
The area was ignored and abandoned during the years following the war, which reduced the insula to a heap of bricks and masonry.
See Garcia y
Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.102).
According to
Fiorelli –
VII.6.1-6 –
Diversi aditi in gran parte obliterati, che trovansi sulla fronte
settentrionale dell’isola a comminciare da occidente, sembrano aver l’ingresso
a tre botteghe, ad una casa, e a due gradinate indipendenti per cenacoli
sovrapposti.
(VII.6.1-6 – Several entrances in large part
obliterated that were found on the north side of the insula beginning on the
west side, they seemed to be the entrances to three shops, to a house, and to
two independent steps leading to rooms above.)
See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.159).
VII.6.4-6 Pompeii. 1910 plan. By Spano.
See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1910,
fig. 1, p. 437.
Continuing the regular description of the insula, and following the order as indicated by the numbers of the external doorways, we have the numbers V and VI.
The number VI (but meaning 5) forms a small doorway for the wooden stairs that climb up to a pergula.
The second doorway (number VI) corresponds to a shop (room number 37 on plan), with a floor of mortar with small pieces of incrusted marble.
See Notizie
degli Scavi, 1910, linked to 5, p.453-4.
(According to NdS - Continuando la descrizione regolare dell’isola, e seguendo l’ordine
come ci viene indicato dalla numerazione dei vani esterni, abbiamo i numeri V e
VI. Il no. VI forma il piccolo vano per la scaletta di legno che montava ad un
pergula. Il secondo corrisponde ad una bottega 37, dal pavimento di malta con
pezzetti di marmo incrostati.
See Notizie
degli Scavi, 1910, linked to 5, p.453-4.)
VII.6.6 Pompeii. October
2023. Looking south across sill or threshold of entrance to the site of
a shop. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VII.6.6 Pompeii. September 2021.
Looking south across
sill or threshold of entrance to the site of a shop. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VII.6.7/6/5 Pompeii. May 2011. Entrance doorway to VII.6.7 (on left) and wider entrance to shop at VII.6.6 (centre).
The thicker slab at the rear of the pavement (on the right) would be the base of the stairs to the upper floor at VII.6.5.
Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VII.6.6/5/4 Pompeii. October 2020.
Looking south to entrances, VII.6.6 on left, VII.6.5 stairs in centre, and VII.6.4 on right. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VII.6.7/6/5/4
Pompeii. December 2018. Looking south
across entrances from Via delle Terme. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
VII.6.6 Pompeii. December 2005. Looking south across site of sill or threshold of entrance to shop.
VII.6.6 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking south-west from entrance towards remains of VII.6.7
VII.6.6 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking south across site of shop, the left half of the photo shows VII.6.7, the right half shows VII.6.3.