V.6.7 Pompeii. House with a fountain or nymphaeum.

Under excavation August 2018.

According to the plan in Massimo Osanna’s book, this is referred to as “Casa 4” and ambiente 12, but it does not seem to have a doorway from Via del Vesuvio.

See Osanna M., 2019. Pompei. Il tempo ritrovato. Le nuove scoperte. Milano: Rizzoli, p. 216, fig. 4.

We have constructed the new room on this page 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 la nuova ambiente in questa pagina 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.

Only the western street front has been excavated, c.1902, 1905-8.

As this area has not been fully excavated yet, it is extremely difficult to see and show exactly where the entrances were.

We have followed the plan as Eschebach drew it in 1969, as best we can.

Until this area is fully excavated, this may or may not be the correct number of entrances.

Some excavations are being carried out in 2018 as part of a scheme to improve drainage in Pompeii.

V.6.7 or 8 Pompeii, Pompeii. October 2020. Looking south along east side of Via del Vesuvio. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

(Note: the roofed area where the lararium is seen above the wall, originally we had identified as V.6.7.

According to Massimo Osanna's book the lararium area is shown as casa 4 and the three front rooms to the north (left) is casa 3.

There does not seem to be a doorway entering the lararium area from this roadway or casa 3, so perhaps the numbered entrance doorway would be further at the rear, still buried.

Therefore, perhaps the doorway with the large blocks in centre left, is now V.6.7.)

See Osanna M., 2019. Pompei. Il tempo ritrovato. Le nuove scoperte. Milano: Rizzoli, p. 216, fig. 4.

Via del Vesuvio, Pompeii. June 2019. Newly excavated frontages to V.6, on east side of Via del Vesuvio. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

(c.2018-2019). In order to improve the drainage and security for visitors to the site, the soil, ash and exuberant vegetation was removed from the slope of the unexcavated land on the east side of Via del Vesuvio (Insula V.6).

This has cleared the area to enable the street boundary wall and rooms at its immediate rear to be viewed from Via del Vesuvio.

V.6.7 Pompeii, on left. December 2006.              Looking south along Via del Vesuvio.                  VI.16.15, on the right.

V.6.7 Pompeii. October 2022. Looking north-east on Via del Vesuvio towards front façade. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.6.7 Pompeii. October 2022. Looking east towards rear of south end of site. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.6.7 Pompeii. May 2006. Unexcavated façade at south end on east side of Via del Vesuvio, with V.6.6, on right.

The upper part of the unexcavated rear of the fountain/nymphaeum can be seen above the boundary wall, on the left.

V.6.7 Pompeii. December 2005. Unexcavated façade/boundary wall.

V.6.7 Pompeii. May 2006. Unexcavated façade, detail from south end.

V.6.7 (south end on left) and V.6.6 Pompeii (on right). May 2006. Unexcavated entrances, on east side of Via del Vesuvio.

V.6.7 Pompeii. October 2022. Looking east towards rear upper floor at south end of front façade. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.6.7 Pompeii. October 2022. Looking east on Via del Vesuvio towards rear of lararium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.6.7 Pompeii. October 2022. Looking east to rear of lararium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.6.7 Pompeii. May 2006. Unexcavated façade/boundary wall.

The upper part of the rear of the unexcavated fountain / nymphaeum can be seen above the boundary wall, right of centre.

V.6.7 Pompeii. May 2006. Unexcavated façade.

The upper part of the rear of the unexcavated fountain / nymphaeum can be seen above the boundary wall, in the centre.

V.6.7 Pompeii. October 2022. Looking north-east to north wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.6.7 Pompeii. October 2022. Looking east towards rear of north end of site. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.6.8, (on left with remaining pink plaster) and V.6.7, Pompeii (on right). December 2005. Unexcavated façade on east side of roadway.

V.6.8 and 7, Pompeii. May 2006. Looking east towards unexcavated north end of façade and remaining painted plaster.

V.6 Pompeii. 1964. 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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This photo is described by Jashemski as “Via Stabia unexcavated, Across from VI.16.”

Whilst it is impossible to be sure V.6.7 is the correct location, it seems too good a photo not to use.

It may be that the upper part of the rear of the unexcavated fountain / nymphaeum can be seen, amongst the undergrowth, (lower centre right).

We shall have to wait until the insula is excavated completely!!

New excavations in 2018

V.6.7 Pompeii. November 2019.

From the reopened Via del Vesuvio, the full profile of the nymphaeum façade, which faces away from the road, can be viewed by the innovative use of a mirror.

Photograph © Parco Archeologico di Pompei.

V.6.7 Pompeii. August 2018. Along the Via del Vesuvio, proceeding southwards, the upper part of a fountain/nymphaeum was brought to light.

The façade is facing the inside of the insula, where a garden probably opened.

Photograph © Parco Archeologico di Pompei.

See House on Via del Vesuvio - aedicula mosaic feature in garden

V.6.7 Pompeii. August 2018. Upper part of a fountain / nymphaeum.

The façade is facing the inside of the insula, where a garden probably opened.

The surface so far exposed (upper part of the columns, upper part of the niche and pediment) is covered with vitreous tesserae and shells, which form complex decorative motifs.

A bird is shown above one of the columns. Photograph © Parco Archeologico di Pompei.

V.6.7 Pompeii. August 2018. A bird (swan?) mosaic above one of the columns on the upper part of a fountain / nymphaeum.

Photograph © Parco Archeologico di Pompei.

V.6.7 Pompeii. August 2018. Mosaic design on the upper part of a fountain / nymphaeum.

Photograph © Parco Archeologico di Pompei.

V.6.7 Pompeii. February 2021. Mosaic on display in Pompeii Antiquarium.

Central mosaic picture that adorned a fountain in a house on Via del Vesuvio, in front of which there was a statuette of a rabbit.

Photo courtesy of Fabien Bièvre-Perrin (CC BY-NC-SA).

According to Kuivalainen, this was the centre mosaic below a niche with columns and a pediment.

The mosaic consists of 3 figures in an architectural setting against a light blue background and white floor area.

On the left stands a man holding his right hand over and looking down on a brownish basin on top of a low separate stand, a white column, entwined with a garland.

The main figures are a couple loosely embracing each other, a reclining drunken youth looking upwards towards a female figure, seated behind, higher up on the podium, looking down at him.

They are without doubt Bacchus and Ariadne.

See Kuivalainen, I., 2021. The Portrayal of Pompeian Bacchus. Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum 140. Helsinki: Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, D16: p. 138-9.

V.6.7 Pompeii. February 2021. Marble rabbit, found in front of a fountain in a house on Via del Vesuvio, on display in Antiquarium.

Photo courtesy of Fabien Bièvre-Perrin (CC BY-NC-SA).