V.2
Pompeii, Vicolo dei Balconi. Casa di Orione. Casa con mosaico groma. Casa dell’agrimensore?
House of Orion. House with groma mosaic. House of the surveyor?
Excavated 2018 to 2020.
Orione 1 Orione 2 Orione 3 Orione 4 Plan
We have constructed these pages from press material and photos produced by the Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
Our grateful thanks to the Parco Archeologico di Pompei for giving us permission to use their press releases and photos.
Abbiamo
costruito queste pagine da materiale stampa e foto prodotte dal Parco
Archeologico di Pompei.
Ringraziamo il
Parco Archeologico di Pompei per averci dato il permesso di utilizzare i loro
comunicati stampa e le loro foto.
Thanks also to Klaus Heese and Johannes Eber for their 2021/2 update photos.
Grazie anche a Klaus Heese e Johannes Eber per
le loro foto di aggiornamento 2021/2.
Danke auch an Klaus Heese und Johannes Eber für
ihre Update-Fotos 2021/2.
Casa di Orione?
This house, which was originally referred to as being an extension of the Casa di Giove V.2.15, is now being referred to as the Casa di Orione or the House of Orion named after the unique mosaic found in ambiente A13. The presence of an entrance A4 on the Vicolo dei Balconi would suggest the numbering of the insula entrances will change.
Casa dell’agrimensore?
A study of the
Pompeii Archaeological Park and the Polytechnic University of Milan confirms
that the Romans were highly competent technicians. Pompeii once again confirms
itself as a place of choice for the understanding of the life and civilization
of the Romans, and in particular of their effective
and innovative technical capabilities.
In the recent article "Gromatics illustrations from newly discovered pavements in Pompeii", Massimo Osanna, Director General of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, together with Luisa Ferro and Giulio Magli of the School of Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Milan proposed a new interpretation of the enigmatic mosaics recently recalled in the House of Orion (otherwise known as the House of Jupiter) in Pompeii: they would have a clear analogy with the illustrations of the codes of the Roman gromatics, highly specialized technicians, who they were involved in the measurement of the earth and the tracing of the lines for the foundation of cities, using a special topographical tool called, precisely, groma.
https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.13145v1
Uno studio del
Parco Archeologico di Pompei e del Politecnico di Milano conferma che i romani
furono tecnici altamente competenti. Pompei si conferma ancora una volta luogo
di elezione per la comprensione della vita e della civiltà dei Romani, e in
particolare delle loro efficaci e innovative capacità tecniche.
Nel recente
articolo “Gromatics illustrations from newly discovered pavements in Pompeii”, Massimo Osanna, Direttore Generale
del Parco Archeologico di Pompei, insieme a Luisa Ferro e Giulio Magli della
Scuola di Architettura del Politecnico di Milano hanno proposto una nuova
interpretazione degli enigmatici mosaici recentemente rivenuti nella Casa di
Orione (altrimenti nota come casa di Giove) a Pompei: essi avrebbero una chiara
analogia con le illustrazioni dei codici dei gromatici romani, tecnici
altamente specializzati che si occupavano della misurazione della terra e del
tracciamento delle linee per la fondazione delle città, utilizzando uno
speciale strumento topografico chiamato, appunto, groma.
https://twitter.com/LoveArchaeology/status/1201849091644411904
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. October 2019. Plan showing house with mosaics and gromatic representations in the tablinum A7 and fauces A4.
The rooms in the lower left-hand corner, excavated in the 19th century, were previously believed to be part of V.2.15 the Casa di Giove.
See Osanna M., Magli G., Ferro L. October 2019. Gromatics illustrations from newly discovered pavements in Pompeii. Cornell University, fig. 2. https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.13145v1
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. March 2020. Aerial view of excavated house with V.2.21 bottom right.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
Bibliography
Osanna M, 2019. Pompei.
Il tempo ritrovato. Le Nuove Scoperte. Milano: Rizzoli (published
26th November 2019).
Osanna M., Magli G., Ferro L. October 2019. Gromatics illustrations from newly discovered pavements in Pompeii. Cornell University. https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.13145v1
Links
Decorated mosaic floor - winged figure
Decorated mosaic floor - serpent
Decorated mosaic floor - crocodile and dog/boar?
Decorated mosaic floor - panther?
Decorated mosaic floor - floor edge
Decorated mosaic floor - Orion
Decorated mosaic floor – vessels at floor edge
Entrance - from atrium 1st style
Entrance from
atrium during excavation
Bourbon hole between 1st style room and floral decoration room
Alcove with fresco of wounded Adonis, Venus and cupids
Detail of fresco of wounded Adonis, Venus and cupids
2018 excavations initial report
Being investigated (2018) in the west part of the wedge, are a series of rooms likely referable to the House of Jupiter, already partly excavated in the nineteenth century, (immediately south and east of the Silver Wedding House).
The investigations, still in progress, have made it possible to identify a wide excavation intervention attributable to the eighteenth century, or to the early nineteenth century, with a circular pit from which several tunnels departed.
It already seems possible to recognize the entrance (fauces), on the Alley of the Balconies, and an atrium which seems to overlook various rooms.
Two rooms overlook onto the Colonnade Garden (peristyle) of this House:
One to the south with rich decorations in first style, with frames and cornices in stucco,
One on the north with a decoration in the third style in which one can recognize, in particular, a pair of birds in the centre of a box.
Although already investigated by an exploratory trench and a tunnel dateable to the first modern investigations, in the corner of this room, still partly to be excavated, an elegant Bronze Portalucerne (candelabra) was found, resting on the floor.
Casa di Giove
In due ambienti
la parte centrale del pavimento è decorata da eccezionali riquadri a mosaico
rettangolari di grande qualità artistica e con raffigurazioni straordinarie,
prive, finora, di precisi confronti e che, a un primo esame, sembrano riferirsi
a miti poco rappresentati, probabilmente di carattere astrologico.
Domus che continuano a delinearsi
nella loro struttura completa, con affreschi preziosi, oggetti e tracce di vita
quotidiana. E’ quanto sta avvenendo sul cantiere della
Regio V degli scavi di Pompei, dove proseguono quotidianamente le scoperte di
strutture e reperti.
Una di queste ricche dimore è la
casa di Giove, che sta emergendo con tutti i suoi ambienti decorati.
La casa fu già in parte scavata
tra Settecento e Ottocento e piuttosto compromessa in più punti
da cunicoli e trincee, tuttora visibili, con i quali era in uso praticare
gli scavi in epoca borbonica. Il nome della casa deriva da un quadretto
raffigurante Giove rinvenuto già nell’800 su un larario posto nel giardino.
L’intervento odierno sta via via
profilando la pianta di una dimora con atrio centrale, circondato da stanze
decorate, ingresso lungo il vicolo dei balconi, anche esso di recente scoperta
e sul fondo uno spazio aperto colonnato su cui si affacciano altri tre
ambienti.
Gli ambienti di rappresentanza
attorno all’atrio hanno svelato una ricca decorazione in primo stile, con
riquadri di stucco imitanti lastre (crustae) marmoree
dipinte di vivaci colori (rosso, nero, giallo, verde) e conservata in alcuni
punti della parte superiore, una ricca cornice di stucco con modanature
dentellate. L’atrio stesso era completato probabilmente, da un fregio dorico in
stucco, con rifiniture in blu e rosso, attestato dai numerosi frammenti
rinvenuti in alcuni punti.
E’ molto probabile che la casa abbia
volutamente mantenuto, negli spazi di rappresentanza, questa più antica
decorazione in I stile che, in altre dimore pompeiane, era stata frequentemente
sostituita da decorazioni più moderne.
Tracce di un incendio sono state
invece ritrovate, in un ambiente della domus confinante con la adiacente casa
delle Nozze d’Argento, già in buona parte indagato in passato. L’incendio aveva
annerito la parete affrescata coinvolgendo
elementi di arredo, tra cui probabilmente un letto, come sembrerebbe dai
frammenti di legno e di stoffa carbonizzati.
Un bel quadretto idillico-sacrale,
che raffigura una scena di sacrificio nei pressi di un santuario agreste è
emerso, invece, in un ambiente poco distante dalla casa di Giove, in quella che
attualmente è identificata come Casa a Nord del giardino. Si tratta di una tra
le prime scene figurate di una certa complessità, assieme al quadro dell’Adone
ferito con Venere e amorini, già emerso in un alcova
poco distante.
In due
ambienti la parte centrale del pavimento è decorata da eccezionali riquadri a
mosaico rettangolari di grande qualità artistica e con raffigurazioni
straordinarie, prive, finora, di precisi confronti e che, a un primo esame,
sembrano riferirsi a miti poco rappresentati, probabilmente di carattere
astrologico.
House of Jupiter
In two rooms the central
part of the floor is decorated with exceptional rectangular mosaic squares of
great artistic quality and with extraordinary representations, hitherto devoid
of precise comparisons and which, on first examination, seem to refer to myths
that are not widely represented, probably of an astrological nature.
Houses continue to emerge in their complete structure, with precious
frescoes, objects and traces of everyday life. This is what is happening on the
site of the Regio V of the excavations in Pompeii, where the discoveries of
structures and finds continue daily. One of these rich dwellings is the House
of Jupiter, which is emerging with all its ornate environments.
The house was already partly excavated between the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries and rather compromised in several places by tunnels and
trenches, still visible, which were the methods used for excavations in the
Bourbon era. The name of the house derives from a painting depicting Jupiter
found already in the 1800s on a lararium located in the garden.
Today's intervention is gradually profiling the plan of a dwelling with
central atrium, surrounded by decorated rooms, the entrance along the Vicolo dei
Balconi, also recently discovered, and at the rear, a colonnade open area on
which three other rooms overlook. The rooms around the atrium have revealed a
rich decoration in first style, with stucco panes imitating marble slabs (crustae) painted in vivid colours (red, black, yellow,
green) and preserved in some points of the upper part, a rich frame of stucco
with serrated mouldings. The atrium itself was probably completed by a Doric
stucco frieze, with finishes in blue and red, attested by the numerous fragments
found at some points. It is very probable that the house has deliberately
maintained, in these spaces, this oldest decoration in the style which, in
other Pompeian dwellings, had been frequently replaced by more modern
decorations.
Traces of a fire have been found, in a room of the domus bordering the
adjacent house of the silver wedding, already in good part investigated in the
past. The fire had blackened the frescoed wall and furnishing elements,
including probably a bed, as it would seem from the fragments of wood and
carbonized cloth.
A beautiful idyllic-sacral picture depicting a scene of
sacrifice near a rural sanctuary has emerged, in a room not far from the House
of Jupiter, in what is currently identified as a house north of the garden. It
is one of the first figurative scenes of a certain complexity, together with
the painting of the wounded Adonis with Venus and Amorini, already emerged in
an alcove not far away.
In two rooms the central part of the floor is decorated
with exceptional rectangular mosaic boxes of great artistic quality and with
extraordinary depictions, without, so far, precise comparisons and which, at
first examination, seem to refer to little-seen myths, probably astrological.
Ambiente A1 is a room in adjacent house V.2.21
V.2.21 Pompeii. March 2020. Aerial view of excavations looking north-east across area with V.2.21, top left, and V.2.20, lower right.
The newly excavated room A1 is top with the yellow and red walls, room A20 is to its left and room A9 further left, both under the protective roof.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
See V.2.21 for further pictures.
Ambiente A2. Ambitus
or peripheral corridor
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. June 2018. Room A2, looking east at east end, collapsed roof that covered a latrine.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
According to Osanna, this area was described as an ambitus.
See Osanna M,
2019. Pompei. Il tempo ritrovato. Le Nuove Scoperte. Milano: Rizzoli (p.
96).
Ambiente A3. Room, cubiculum, south of entrance A4
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. August 2018. The two excavators are working in room A3, which is on the east side (left).
Looking south across atrium towards doorways to rooms A3, on left, A17 on south side, A11 in the centre and room A13 on the right.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. August 2018.
Doorway to room A3 on the east side of atrium A12, to south of entrance A4.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. July 2018. Room A3 under excavation.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. June 2018. Looking south across room A3 on the south side of entrance A4, under excavation.
In the upper centre of the photo, the holes for the support beams of the upper floor can be seen, indicating a vaulted alcove at the south end of the room.
When further lapilli/debris was removed from the floor area, a bed recess was seen in the west wall of the room.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
See Osanna M,
2019. Pompei. Il tempo ritrovato. Le Nuove Scoperte. Milano: Rizzoli (p.
97).
V.2.Pompeii. Casa
di Orione. September
2021.
Looking towards south-east corner of room A3. Photo courtesy of
Klaus Heese.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. September
2021.
Looking
towards south wall in room A3. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. September
2021.
Painted
decoration of deer, from east side of south wall in room A3. Photo courtesy of
Klaus Heese.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa
di Orione. September
2021.
Painted decoration of leopard, from west side of south wall in
room A3. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ambiente A4. Entrance
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di Orione. April 2022. Looking south
towards entrance doorway, in centre. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di Orione. April 2022.
Looking north in
Vicolo dei Balconi, with Casa di Orione, entrance doorway, centre right. Photo courtesy of Johannes
Eber.
V.2.Pompeii. Looking north in Vicolo dei Balconi, with Casa di Orione, entrance doorway A4 on west side, centre right.
The facade is of white block pattern with a yellow upper band.
Upon excavation, the roadway was discovered still not yet completely paved outside this house, it was presumably still in the course of being re-laid.
At the top of the exterior façade, beam holes for the support of a balcony leaning out over the pavement could be made out.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
See Osanna M,
2019. Pompei. Il tempo ritrovato. Le Nuove Scoperte. Milano: Rizzoli (p.
89).
On the north side near to the entrance doorway (centre right of photo), an electoral inscription was painted in red with the name of CELSUM AED O.V.F
This would have been for Lucius Albucius Celsus, followed by AED (aed(ilem) and then O.V.F (o(ro) v(os) f(aciatis), meaning we beg you to vote for Celsus as candidate for aedile.
Above this inscription was another older one painted in red but faded, in larger letters, but unreadable.
See Osanna M,
2019. Pompei. Il tempo ritrovato. Le Nuove Scoperte. Milano: Rizzoli (p.
92).
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di Orione. October 2022.
Looking west along entrance corridor (A4). Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di
Orione. April 2022.
Looking west from entrance corridor/fauces towards atrium and
across towards peristyle.
Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di
Orione. April 2022.
Looking west towards atrium, tablinum and
peristyle garden. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di Orione. October 2022.
South side of entrance corridor (A4). Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di
Orione. April 2022.
Looking towards south wall of entrance
corridor/fauces. Photo courtesy of Johannes
Eber.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. September
2021.
Looking
towards south wall of entrance corridor/fauces from entrance doorway. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
V.2 Pompeii.
Casa di Orione. April 2022.
Detail from black painted panel on south
side of entrance corridor/fauces. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
V.2, Pompeii. Casa di
Orione. October 2021.
Looking towards south wall of entrance
corridor, on left, from atrium, and south-east corner. Photo courtesy of
Johannes Eber.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di
Orione. April 2022. Graffiti on wall panel in entrance corridor.
South wall of entrance corridor, enlargement
from black panel at west end. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di Orione. October 2022.
North side of entrance corridor (A4). Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa
di Orione. September 2021.
Looking towards north wall of entrance corridor/fauces from
entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di Orione. April 2022.
North
wall of entrance corridor, detail from black panel, at east end. Photo courtesy
of Johannes Eber.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di
Orione. April 2022.
North wall of entrance
corridor, enlargement from black panel. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di Orione. October 2022.
Graffiti on north side of entrance corridor (A4), at west end. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. August 2018. Room A4, entrance fauces, face in graffiti.
Photograph
Massimo Osanna © Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2, Pompeii. Casa di
Orione. October 2021.
Looking towards north wall of entrance corridor, on right, from
atrium. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. August 2018.
Looking east from atrium A12 towards room A4 entrance fauces with painted blockwork on either side.
Room A5 is to the left (north) of the entrance and room A3 is right (south) of the entrance.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. October 2019. Gromatic representation in the fauces A4.
See Osanna M., Magli G., Ferro L. October
2019. Gromatics illustrations from newly discovered pavements
in Pompeii. Cornell University, fig. 3. https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.13145v1
V.2.Pompeii.
Casa di Orione. February 2021.
Photo courtesy of Fabien Bièvre-Perrin (CC
BY-NC-SA).
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. February
2021.
Photo courtesy of Fabien Bièvre-Perrin (CC
BY-NC-SA).
Ambiente A5. Room north of entrance A4
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. July 2018. Doorway to room A5, in north-east corner of atrium.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
This room would have had a window in its east wall overlooking the roadway.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di Orione. October 2022.
Room A5, looking towards east wall with window overlooking roadway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ambiente A6. Room with panther mosaic
V.2.Pompeii. Casa
di Orione. September
2021.
Room 6, doorway to room in north-west corner of atrium. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
To its right is small room A18 and further right is one of the entrances to room A15.
Photograph © Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2, Pompeii. Casa di
Orione. October 2021.
Room 6, with panther floor mosaic, looking
north-west. Photo courtesy of Johannes
Eber.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. September
2021.
Room
6, looking towards west wall, north-west corner and north walls. Photo courtesy
of Klaus Heese.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di Orione. October 2022.
Looking west across
room 6, towards east portico and peristyle (11c). Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di Orione. October 2022. Room 6,
detail of painted bird from west wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. May 2018.
Room A6, looking towards west wall with window to portico, north-west corner and north wall.
Photograph
© Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. August 2018.
Room A6, north wall with painted decoration in north-west corner.
Photograph © Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2, Pompeii. Casa di Orione. October 2021. Room 6, floor mosaic with panther. Photo courtesy of Johannes
Eber.
V.2 Pompeii. Casa di Orione. April 2022. Room 6, floor mosaic with panther. Photo courtesy of Johannes
Eber.
V.2.Pompeii.
Casa di Orione. September 2021. Room 6, floor mosaic with
panther. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
V.2.Pompeii.
Casa di Orione. September 2021. Room 6, detail from floor
mosaic with panther. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. June 2018.
Room A6 during 2018 excavations. Part of mosaic floor with crocodile and boar and other animals.
Photograph
© Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii.
Casa di Orione.
Room A6 during 2018 excavations. Part of mosaic floor with panther, eagle and goat and other animals.
Photograph
© Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. August 2018. Room A6, looking towards north-east corner.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. June 2018.
Room A6, looking east through window from portico, during 2018 excavations. Looking towards doorway in east wall.
Photograph © Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. June 2018. Room A6, looking towards east wall and doorway into atrium A12, during 2018 excavations.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. June 2018. Room A6, detail of upper east wall, during 2018 excavations.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. June 2018. Room A6, detail of upper east wall and doorway to atrium, during 2018 excavations.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. June 2018. Room A6 during 2018 excavations. Bronze candelabra by east wall doorway.
Although already investigated by an exploratory trench and a tunnel dateable to the first modern investigations, in the corner of this room an elegant bronze candelabra was found, resting on the floor.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. June 2018. Room A6, doorway to atrium in lower east wall, during 2018 excavations.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. June 2018. Room A6 during 2018 excavations.
Bronze candelabra and terracotta vase by east wall doorway.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
V.2.Pompeii. Casa di Orione. June 2018. Room A6, east wall with doorway, south-east corner and south wall, during 2018 excavations.
Photograph ©
Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
Orione 1 Orione 2 Orione 3 Orione 4 Plan