VII.6.20 Pompeii. Caupona of M.C.N. and dwelling. Excavated 1873?

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,

19-22. Four workshops, whose external pillars were of Nocera stone, they follow on from the Cistern, and contained other more internal rooms with hearths, also the second of them (VII.6.20) having a sales podium with three urns.

(19-22. Quattro botteghe, i cui pilastri esterni sono di pietra nucerina, fanno seguito alla cisterna, e contengono celle piu interne con focolari, avendo anche la seconda di esso il podio della vendita con tre urne.)

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.160).

According to NdS,

XIX and XX. Workshops linked to the house numbered XXVIII, composed of various rustic rooms, preserved almost only in the lower part of the walls. (p.463)

From the description of the house at XXVIII, (VII.6.28),

(Exedra 190), at the extreme right of the southern wall, was a small passage in a corridor (numbered 110), which was in direct communication from the house to the workshops that have their entrances in the Vico delle Terme, numbered at XIX and XX, and with the rustic rooms linked to the latter (room numbered 110-119), which in the most part had been excavated before us, and which are not necessary to describe them. And so, I omit to describe the other rooms belonging to this house and numbered (120-129) on the east side between rooms 108 and 109, rustic rooms with nothing of importance. (p.475)

(XIX e XX. Botteghe comunicanti con la casa n. XXVIII, composte di vari ambienti rustici, conservati quasi solamente nella parte bassa delle pareti.) (p.463).

Descrizione dalla casa al VII. 6.28 -

(Exedra 190), Nella estremità destra della parete meridionale, è un piccolo passaggio in un corridoio, 110, il quale mette in comunicazione diretta la casa con le botteghe che hanno l'ingresso nel vico delle Terme, ai numeri XIX e XX, e con gli ambienti rustici annessi a queste ultime (room numbers 110-119), che in buona parte erano già stati scavati prima di noi, e che non è necessario di descrivere. E così, tralascio di descrivere anche gli altri ambienti appartenenti a questa casa, e segnati coi numeri (rooms numbered 120-129 on east side behind rooms 108 and 109), ambienti rustici e di nessuna importanza. (p.475).

See Notizie degli Scavi, 1910, p.463 and p.475 (from VII.6.28).

VII.6.20 Pompeii. Plan based on PPM.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. VII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p. 182.

VII.6.20 Pompeii. March 2009. Entrance on Vicolo delle Terme.

VII.6.20 Pompeii. December 2005. Entrance and counter.

According to Garcia y Garcia, this was very devastated and ruined following the September 1943 bombing, together with VII.6.19.

In the sales-counter, only one of the dishes was conserved, whereas originally Fiorelli confirmed it had 3 dolia.

See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.102).

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.160)

VII.6.20 Pompeii. December 2004. Two-sided counter with 3 urns and a hearth.

VII.6.20 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking west across sales room with two-sided counter with 3 urns and a hearth.

According to Della Corte, this small dwelling annexed to another caupona was lived in by a pompeian, known only by the initials M. C. N.

Written on the dado of an internal room (86, and seen twice) was - M. C. N. pecunia sua f(e)c(it)     [CIL IV 495]

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.173)

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de), this read

M(arcus) C() N() pecunia sua      [CIL IV 495=CIL IV 9017]

According to NdS, this was found in room 86 which would seem to be part of VII.6.22.

VII.6.20 Pompeii. March 2009. Two-sided counter with 3 urns and a hearth.

VII.6.20 Pompeii. May 2003. Looking east towards Vicolo delle Terme, from rear of counter. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

VII.6.20 Pompeii. September 2015. Looking west towards site of rear room, and small yard or garden.

VII.6.20 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking west towards site of rear room, and small yard or garden.

This site would be approximately under the pile of stones.

According to Eschebach, on the north side (right) would have been separate steps to the upper floor dwelling above the doorway to VII.6.19.

On the west side would have been a rear room, a second stairway to the upper floor, a latrine and a small yard and garden.

See Eschebach, L., 1993. Gebäudeverzeichnis und Stadtplan der antiken Stadt Pompeji. Köln: Böhlau. (p.296)

VII.6.20 Pompeii. December 2005. Looking west.