V.1.7 Pompeii. House of the Bull or House of the Young Bull

or Casa L. Pontius Successus or Casa del Torello di Bronzo.

Excavated 1836 and 1875. Rear entrance at V.1.9. Linked to V.1.3.

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 6      Part 7      Part 8      Plan

For extra detailed information see Swedish Pompeii Project web site

Façade and Entrance 1

V.1.7 Pompeii. October 2023.

Looking north-east towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.1.7 Pompeii. December 2005. Entrance doorway.

A small bronze sign was found on the 18th of May 1836, in the soil at the entrance. It read -

T(iti) Pont(i)

Success(i)    [CIL X 8058]

See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno di Napoli. Naples: Nicola Longobardi.  (p. 152)

V.1.7 Pompeii. 1975. House of the Bull, tufa façade. Photo courtesy of Anne Laidlaw.

American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Laidlaw collection _P_75_4_2.

V.1.7 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Entrance doorway on Via di Nola.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1481a

V.1.7 Pompeii. Entrance with capital in place.

Old undated photograph courtesy of the Society of Antiquaries, Fox Collection.

V.1.7 Pompeii. c. 1900. Entrance capital in place.

V.1.7 Pompeii. Entrance capital. Now in storage at VII.7.29 Forum granary market.

V.1.7 Pompeii. Entrance capital. Now in storage at VII.7.29 Forum granary market.

V.1.7 Pompeii. Entrance capital. Now in storage at VII.7.29 Forum granary market.

V.1.7 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking north towards entrance doorway, across the Via di Nola from IX.4.18.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 539.

V.1.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Site of painted inscription on east side of entrance.

V.1.7 Pompeii. Painted inscription on east side of entrance.

Old undated photograph courtesy of the Society of Antiquaries, Fox Collection.

V.1.7 Pompeii. 1974.

House of the Bull, tufa façade, section to left (west side) of entrance. Photo courtesy of Anne Laidlaw.

American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Laidlaw collection _P_74_4_19.

V.1.7 Pompeii. October 2023. Looking north through entrance doorway in Via di Nola. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.1.7 Pompeii. September 2017. Looking through entrance doorway on north side of Via di Nola.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. September 2017. Name plaque on east side of doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. January 2017. Name plaque on west side of doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. January 2017. Looking through entrance doorway on north side of Via di Nola.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. September 2018. Detail of pavement outside of entrance doorway on north side of Via di Nola.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. 1964. Looking north through entrance doorway. 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.

J64f1095

V.1.7 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking north-east on Via di Nola towards entrance doorway.

On the right side of the main entrance doorway 1, the doorway to small room 2, can be seen.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1482.

Room 2, small room on east side of entrance corridor

V.1.7 Pompeii. September 2018. Looking north towards doorway thresholds, the doorway to the small room 2 is on the right.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. January 2017. Doorway thresholds, the doorway to the small room 2 is on the right.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. September 2017.

Looking towards east side of entrance doorway 1 at small doorway into room 2, in use when the main doorway was closed.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. January 2017.

Looking north-east towards north end of small room 2 on east side of entrance corridor.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. September 2018.

Looking towards north end of small room 2 on east side of entrance corridor.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. Small room 2 on right hand side of entrance door.

This was used either as a small private entrance when the main door was not used or as a room for the doorkeeper.

V.1.7 Pompeii. May 2024.

Room 2, looking south-east from north end of small room. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.1.7 Pompeii. Pre-1943. Drawing and photo by Tatiana Warscher.

According to Warscher -

“In the corridor between the two doorways on the right-hand side, there was a small compartment/room accessible from the atrium and the corridor. Its scope was not at all clear, being too narrow to be the porter’s room. This small room/compartment must have been used as a passageway when the grand door was closed.

The grand door (1) was set behind the pilasters (2). A small compartment/room/passageway (3 – 4) set behind the right pilaster (2), permitted entry into the house by a small door (5) without having to open the principal main door.

This narrow passage was closed on the street side by a small door. “

See Warscher, T. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus, IX.1. (1943), Swedish Institute, Rome. (no.72a), p. 132.

Room 3, entrance corridor

V.1.7 Pompeii. September 2017.

Looking north through doorway towards entrance corridor 3 and atrium 4.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. May 2024.

Looking north along west side of entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.1.7 Pompeii. May 2024.

Looking north along east side of entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.1.7 Pompeii. September 2018. Detail of flooring in entrance corridor 3.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. December 2018. 

Room 3, looking north from entrance corridor across impluvium in atrium 4. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

V.1.7 Pompeii. April 2019.

Looking north across atrium 4, from entrance corridor 3. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

V.1.7 Pompeii. January 2017. Room 3, looking north across flooring in entrance corridor/atrium 4.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

Room 4, Atrium

V.1.7, Pompeii. September 2017. Room 4, looking north across atrium. From entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.1.7 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 4, looking north across atrium from entrance corridor.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7, Pompeii. December 2018.

Room 4, looking north across impluvium in atrium, from entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

V.1.7 Pompeii. January 2017. Room 4, looking north across flooring in atrium towards impluvium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. May 2012. Room 4, looking north across atrium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

V.1.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking north across atrium 4.

V.1.7 Pompeii. December 2004. Room 4, looking north across atrium.

V.1.7 Pompeii. October 2020. Room 4, looking across impluvium in atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.1.7 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 4, looking north across impluvium in atrium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.7 Pompeii. June 2019. Room 4, looking north across impluvium in atrium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

V.1.7 Pompeii. September 2017. Room 4, looking north across impluvium in atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.1.7 Pompeii. May 2012. Room 4, atrium with impluvium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

V.1.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 4, atrium with impluvium.

V.1.7 Pompeii. 1984. Terracotta pot, on south end of impluvium in atrium 4.

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.

J84f0028

V.1.7 Pompeii. 1984. Detail of terracotta pot, on south end of impluvium in atrium 4.

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.

J84f0029

V.1.7 Pompeii. Atrium 4 and impluvium, looking north through tablinum 13 to peristyle “b”.

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

V.1.7 Pompeii, 7th August 1976. Room 4, looking from atrium with model of bull in situ, across tablinum 13 to peristyle area.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer, from Dr George Fay’s slides collection.

V.1.7 Pompeii, October 2023.

Bronze bull from north side of impluvium in atrium 4. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

On display in “L’altra MANN” exhibition, October 2023, in Naples Archaeological Museum, inv. 4890.

V.1.7 Pompeii, October 2023.

Description card for bull, inv. 4890. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

V.1.7 Pompeii. 1959.

North side of impluvium in atrium 4 with model of bronze bull, in situ. 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.

J59f0434

V.1.7 Pompeii. 1954. North side of impluvium in atrium 4 with model of bronze bull, in situ. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

V.1.7 Pompeii. 1920s-1930s postcard.

Looking north across impluvium in atrium 4 with model of bronze bull, in situ. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

V.1.7 Pompeii. October 2020

Room 4 atrium. Pedestal on marble impluvium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.1.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 4, atrium. Pedestal on marble impluvium.

V.1.7 Pompeii. December 2007.

Room 4, atrium. Pedestal on impluvium. Plaque with name of Giorgio E. Sommer of Piazza Vittoria 6 bis NAPOLI.

In addition to his photography business, Sommer also had a bronze casting business, making replicas of items in museums and the excavations.

V.1.7 Pompeii. 1906. Room 4, atrium. Pedestal on impluvium with bronze bull.

See Thedenat, H., 1906. Pompei Histoire Vie Privee. Paris : Renouard, (p. 66, Fig. 33).

V.1.7 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking north-east across impluvium in atrium 4 with bronze bull on pedestal.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1844.

V.1.7 or VIII.3.4 Pompeii? In the ICCD scheda this is recorded as from VIII.3.4 with the note “but it is not certain”.

According to Mary Harrsch, it may be from V.1.7.

Drawing by Giuseppe Abbate, 1843, of painting of Bacchus with Silenus playing the tambourine.

According to the ICCD Scheda, “La collocazione della pittura raffigurata nel disegno nella Casa di Ercole e Auge a Pompei (VIII 3, 4) non è sicura.”

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 811.

Photo © ICCD. https://www.catalogo.beniculturali.it

Utilizzabili alle condizioni della licenza Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Condividi allo stesso modo 2.5 Italia (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 IT)

According to PPM this has been wrongly identified with this house as Silenus was originally identified as playing a lyre.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. VIII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p. 357.

The wording below the drawing reads –

“Painting excavated in the presence of Duke d’Omal in a house before the crossroads of the Strada della Fortuna”

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, (395b).

According to Mary Harrsch [email], “I read your reference to a drawing of Dionysos and Silenus playing a tambourine where you pointed out that the fresco was misidentified as one within the Casa di Ercole ed Auge and mentioned it was recorded "Painting excavated in the presence of Duke d’Omal in a house before the crossroads of the Strada della Fortuna." Recently, I wrote an article about the House of the (Bronze) Bull and while researching that site, I translated the section of PAH volume 2 that described the excavation (according to the Swedish Pompeii Project), and each time the excavators appeared to be discussing the work there, they referred to the location as "before the crossroads of the Strada della Fortuna”. The PAH also describes multiple visits by nobility. So, I think that fresco was found in what is now known as the House of the Bull (V.1.7).”

Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 6      Part 7      Part 8      Plan