55. Oplontis. Villa di Poppea or Villa of Poppea or Villa Poppaea or Oplontis Villa A.
Parts of the villa were discovered in the digging of the Sarno Canal (1593–1600), the tunnel excavations of Francesco La Vega (April 1785), and Michele Rusca (April 1839 - November 1840).
Excavated 1964 to 1984. Oplontis Project excavations from 2005.
Garden excavation by Wilhelmina Jashemski 1974 to 1978 and 1983 to 1984.
Quick Outline
This Quickie page has been created to give an appreciation of only the main rooms and areas of the beautiful Villa di Poppea without the need to navigate the many detailed pages of photographs.
Detail
If you are interested to see the house in more detail, the rooms are shown in greater detail in the subsequent parts.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023.
Looking south across north garden towards Villa, with steps from entrance, on right. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023.
Entrance steps down to Villa. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2020.
Room 4, looking north-west towards courtyard
garden, room 20. Photo courtesy of Klaus
Heese.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023. Room 5, looking south across atrium. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September 2017. Room 5, looking south-east across atrium towards
east wall.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023. Room 5, looking south along west wall of atrium. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis
Villa of Poppea, October
2023. Room 7, looking towards north-east
corner of kitchen. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2022. Room 8, looking towards north wall and north-east corner. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, May 2011.
Room 11, cubiculum, west wall with
plaster-cast of window-shutters. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, May 2011.
Room 11, looking north in cubiculum
with two alcoves. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023. Room 14, looking north. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2020.
Room 15, looking north along east wall,
with doorway to room 16 in north wall, on left, and doorway into room 14, on
right.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2020.
Room 15, looking south towards plaster-cast
of closed window shutters. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023. Room 16, looking north across fountain in tetrastyle atrium. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2022.
Room 18, looking towards north wall and north-east corner in tepidarium of baths’ complex. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023.
Room 20, looking north across courtyard garden with large window into large room 21. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, March 2019. Room 21, looking south-east from north garden.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis
Villa of Poppea, October
2023.
Room 21,
looking east towards Portico 33, with rear view of four statues of the Centaurs
on display. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, March 2014.
Room 23, south wall at west end, with small doorway in south corridor, on left.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, March 2014. Room 23, looking towards north wall from small
doorway in south corridor.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, March 2014. Room 23, looking towards west wall from larger doorway onto Portico 24.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis
Villa of Poppea, October
2023. Portico 24, looking east along south
side. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September 2017.
Portico 24, looking west through doorway at east end, connecting with Portico 40 and Peristyle 59.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2021.
Room 25,
looking towards west and north wall from doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus
Heese.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October
2023.
Room 25, two herms of Hercules, on display here but
found on east side of the pool. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September 2017.
East
portico 34, looking south through window into room 30, in south wall of
portico.
Foto
Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2022.
Room 31,
looking towards north wall of probable frigidarium in baths’ complex.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023.
The enclosed peristyle 32, previously known as the rustic courtyard, looking east across fountain. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, March 2014. Looking south-west across north garden towards west portico (33).
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, March 2014. Looking south-east across north garden towards east portico (34).
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2017.
Corridor 37,
looking north along corridor 37 towards internal peristyle 32, from portico 24.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September 2017. Room 38, north-west corner.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023. Room 38, looking towards north wall. Photo courtesy of
Giuseppe Ciaramella.
The white marble head of the goddess Aphrodite on
display here in Room 38, was found in the north garden 56.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023. Portico 40, looking south-east
from north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023. Portico 40, looking west along
north portico. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023.
Room 41, looking north-west across cubiculum with two alcoves. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023.
Room 41, looking towards alcove near west wall of cubiculum, and through doorway in alcove into room 38.
Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, January 2023.
Room 44, looking east towards amphorae and niche in east wall. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September 2011.
Doorway in
west portico 60, west to corridor 46, and south to corridor 76. Photo
courtesy of Michael Binns.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023. Corridor 76, looking south. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe
Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023.
Corridor 46, with benches and modern display cases, looking west. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023. Ceiling in corridor 46, detail of decoration. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, March 2014. Room 48, looking towards south wall with doorway to room
47, latrine for women.
Foto Annette
Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, March 2019. Room 48, looking north across latrine for men.
Foto Annette
Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2015.
Corridor 52
with graffito, looking north through room 54 towards the north garden 56.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, 2012.
Corridor 52, graffiti on west wall. Graffito MNHΣΘHI BHPYΛΛOΣ (remember Beryllos). Photo courtesy of Aniello Langella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2020.
Room 54, threshold of doorway from East Portico 34. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, October 2020.
Room 55,
looking towards south wall, south-west corner and west wall. Photo courtesy of
Klaus Heese.
Villa of Poppaea, Oplontis, October 2023. Looking south-west across the north garden 56. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Oplontis
Villa of Poppea, October
2023. Looking south-east across the north
garden 56. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, May 2011. Looking south-east across the replanted north garden 56.
In the upper
left of the photo is the doorway through to room 69.
In the centre
of the photo is the east portico of the north garden, room 34.
On the right,
just in the photo, is the entrance to the large salon, room 21, which would
have enjoyed fine views across the garden.
Photo courtesy
of Michael Binns.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, February 2021.
Marble
herm with the head of a woman, according to description card conventionally
identified as Poppea Sabina,
found
on eastern side of the north garden, in Villa A, at Oplontis.
Photo courtesy of Fabien Bièvre-Perrin (CC BY-NC-SA).
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023.
Area 59, looking towards north-east corner of peristyle garden. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023. Area 59, looking towards east side of peristyle. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2015. Portico 60, looking north.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September 2017. Portico 60, looking south.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October
2023.
Area 96, looking south-east across swimming pool
from area 80, the east side of the west portico 60. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2011.
Room 61,
looking through window from room 65 towards south wall and south-west corner.
Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023.
Corridor 63, looking west towards white marble statue of a young child with a goose, on display in corridor. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis
Villa of Poppea, September 2017. Room 65, with window into room 61 in south wall, on left.
Room
64, area with niche, at rear of room 65, centre and right.
Foto
Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September
2015. Room 65, north wall, looking north-east towards window into room 68.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023.
Room 65,
looking towards north wall with marble statue of Ephebus on display here, near
window into garden room 68.
Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis
Villa of Poppea, March 2014.
Room
66, looking towards south wall with niche, and south-west corner.
Foto
Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023.
Room 68, looking south from room 69, looking through window towards south wall with window into room 65.
Looking across room 65 to window into room 61, a raised courtyard. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023.
Room 68,
looking across room towards south wall and window into room 65. Photo courtesy
of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September
2015.
Room
68, looking towards north wall with window to room 69, and across to window
into room 70, another small courtyard garden.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, March 2014. Room 69, looking west through doorway from exedra into the north garden.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269
DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023. Room 69, north side,
with window into garden room 70. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2022.
Room 69, north wall with window into
room 70, and through to window into room 73/74. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2020.
Room 70, looking towards west wall, and
north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, January 2023. Room 70, north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September
2021.
Room 70, detail of peacock from north
wall in north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September
2015.
Room 72, looking west to doorway in
west wall of Portico 60.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023.
Room 72,
looking west through doorway with marble statue of Nike (inv. 73302) on
display, which was found in 1983 on the east side of the pool.
Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, May 2011. Area 73 with niche/recess set into west wall, at rear of room 74.
Room 74, with window on south and north sides, into small courtyard gardens. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2017. Doorway to room 74, in the west portico wall of area
60.
Looking west
towards area at rear, room 73.
On the south
side, on left, is a window into room 70, and on the north side, on right, a
window into room 87.
Foto Annette
Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023. Room 74, looking south-west towards window into garden room 70, on
left.
The marble group of Hermaphrodite and Satyr, on display
here, were found on the south side of the pool. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe
Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023.
Room 74, looking towards north wall with window into garden room 87,
and doorway into room 88, on right. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September 2017.
Room 74, looking towards north wall,
with window to garden room 87.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269
DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2015. Room 75, doorway, looking west.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, October 2023.
Room 75, marble statue of Artemis (inv. 73303), on
display here but found on the east side of the pool.
Photo courtesy of Giuseppe
Ciaramella.
Oplontis
Villa of Poppea, October
2023. Doorway to room 79, in centre, from corridor 76. Photo courtesy of
Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September 2017.
Corridor
77, looking north along east wall towards room 66 from room 79, on right.
Foto
Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis
Villa of Poppea, October 2023. Room
81, looking east. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September
2015.
Room 81, looking north-east towards
area 85 through pilasters, at the south end of the swimming pool 96.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September
2015. Room 87, south wall, with doorway to room 73.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, May 2011. Room 87, looking towards window in south wall into room 74. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, May 2011.
Room 87, looking through semi-circular window in north wall, into room 89. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, September
2015. Room 88, looking west through doorway.
Oplontis
Villa of Poppea, October 2023.
Room 88, looking west through doorway from Portico 60, towards two marble
heads of boys on display here.
The one on the left (inv. 73299) was found on the east side of the pool
and the one on the right (inv. 72518) along one of the paths in the north
garden.
Photo courtesy of Giuseppe
Ciaramella.
Oplontis
Villa of Poppea, September 2017.
Room
90, looking towards doorway in west wall leading into room 89.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2011.
Room 89,
looking towards south wall with semi-circular window into room 87. Photo
courtesy of Michael Binns.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2017. Room 90, doorway from Portico 60, looking west.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, February 2009.
Room 92, the terrace at south end of swimming pool, looking north over the small impluvium like marble feature.
Photo courtesy of Drew Baker - from the King's College London, Villa of Oplontis Archive.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2017.
Room 93,
looking through doorway from corridor 94, towards west wall with window onto
north garden.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2015.
Room 93,
doorway in north wall into room 95, only partly excavated.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, September 2015. Corridor 94, looking south from near room 97.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, April 2018.
Looking south along east side (area 98) of swimming pool 96 towards area 92, the sculpture garden, on its south side.
Photo courtesy of Ian Lycett-King. Use is subject to Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License v.4 International.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, March 2014.
Corridor/room 97, looking west from doorway onto Portico 60,
towards plaster-cast of door/shutters against north (unexcavated) wall.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, May 2011.
Corridor/room 97, plaster-cast of door/shutters. The hinges and the door-closure are clearly visible. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, March 2014. Area 60, the west portico of the
swimming pool.
This is the eastern doorway to room 97,
at the north end of the portico, looking through doorway into the unexcavated.
On the right is the window with the
decoration under it.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269
DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa
of Poppea, May 2010. Looking north-east towards painted garden scene under
window. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, March 2014. Looking north towards swimming
pool 96.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269
DÉCOR.
Oplontis Villa of Poppea, 1978.
Area 98, looking north-east from terrace 92, with statues returned temporarily to their original places on east side of pool 96. 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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