VII.6.17 Pompeii. Forum Baths Water Reservoir. Stairs to lower parts.
Excavated 1817, 1840.
Other parts of the baths:
VII.5.2 VII.5.7 VII.5.8 VII.5.10
VII.5.12 VII.5.24 VII.6.18 Forum Baths Plan
According to Fiorelli,
17 and 18. Cistern.
The two entrances that come after, belong to a large reservoir of water, where
it would have been purified before being distributed to the various fountains
existing in the vicinity of the Forum. From the first of the entrances, descending
by a staircase with three levels to a narrow subteraneum,
in which the great bronze key was found,
which closed or opened the exit to the water; from the second entrance, one
mounts by another staircase to the top of the tank itself, where there remains
a clay pipe, destined perhaps to feed the tank of the nearby Baths.
(17 e 18. Cisterna. Due aditi che vengono dopo
appartengono ad un grande serbatoio di acqua, ove purificavasi prima di essere
distribuita alle varie fontane esistenti nell vicinanze del Foro. Dal primo di
essi discendesi per una gradinata a tre tese in un angusto sotteraneo, in cui
trovavasi la grande chiave di bronzo, che chiudeva o apriva l’uscita all’acqua;
dal secondo si monta per un’altra gradinata alla sommita della cisterna stessa,
ove rimane un condotto fittile, destinato forse ad alimentare il serbatoio del
vicino Bagno.)
See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.160)
According to NdS,
The two stairways already known, linked to the large water tank 77, 78, 79 (on plan) already known for many years.
(XVII e XVIII. Le due scalette gia note, annesse
al grande serbatoio di acqua 77, 78, 79 gia da molti anni conosciuto.)
See Notizie degli Scavi, 1910, p.463.
See Rivista di Study, 1, p.135, Saggi nel
Vico dei Soprastanti e nel Vicolo delle Terme, for information on wells found
under roadway.
VII.6.17 Pompeii. March 2009. Entrance to VII.6.18 (upstairs) and VII.6.17 (downstairs).
Between VII.6.16 and VII.6.17 are three large water storage reservoirs that feed the Forum Baths.
VII.6.17 gave access to the lower part of the reservoirs.
VII.6.18 gave access to the upper part of the reservoirs.
VII.6.17 Pompeii.
March 2009. Entrance on Vicolo delle Terme.
VII.6.17 Pompeii. December 2005. Entrance.
VII.6.17 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance.
VII.6.17 Pompeii on the left. December 2006. Vicolo delle Terme looking north with VII.5 and Forum baths on the right.
Between VII.6.16 and VII.6.17 are three large water storage reservoirs that feed the Forum Baths.
These are behind the wall on the left. The tanks were 5m by 15m at the base and 9m high at the top of the curved roof.
It is estimated the reservoirs held 430,000 litres of water.
See Eschebach, L., 1993. Gebäudeverzeichnis und Stadtplan der antiken Stadt Pompeji. Köln: Böhlau. (p. 41).
VII.5 Pompeii. May 2005. Vicolo delle Terme looking south. The reservoirs at VII.6.17 are the tall buildings on the right.
The water tower at the Forum Baths is on the left.
“The Piscina or reservoir is separated from the baths themselves by the street, which opens onto the Forum.
The pipes which communicated between the reservoir and the bath passed over an arch thrown across the street.
This arch was perfect when the excavation was made; now only the shoulders remain, in which the pipes above-mentioned are still visible.”
See Clarke, W. (1833). Clarke’s Pompeii. Boston, USA, Lilly, Wait, Colman and Holden, (p. 158)
VII.6.17 Pompeii, 1968. Looking south along Vicolo delle Terme. 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.
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VII.6.18 Pompeii. September 2015. Plastered walls and ceiling of stairs.
VII.6.17 Pompeii. September 2015. Stairs down.
VII.6.17 Pompeii. March 2009. Plastered walls and ceiling of stairs.
VII.6.17 Pompeii. March 2009. Arched plastered wall and ceiling.
VII.6.17 Pompeii. March 2009. Stairs down.
According to Liselotte Eschebach these gave access to a large stopcock which turned the flow on and off.
See Eschebach, L., 1993. Gebäudeverzeichnis und Stadtplan der antiken Stadt Pompeji. Köln: Böhlau. (p. 41).
VII.6.17 Pompeii. March 2009. Stairs down.
According to Liselotte Eschebach there were three turns of stairs.
See Eschebach, L., 1993. Gebäudeverzeichnis und Stadtplan der antiken Stadt Pompeji. Köln: Böhlau. (p. 41).
VII.6.17 Pompeii. May 2005. Stairs down.
VII.6.17 Pompeii. May 2005. Stairs down.
Other parts of the baths: VII.5.2 VII.5.7 VII.5.8 VII.5.10 VII.5.12 VII.5.24 VII.6.18 Forum Baths Plan