VII .10.5 Pompeii. House. Linked
to VII .10.8 and VII .10.13.
Excavated 1863? (Vico d’Eumachia 11).
The moving and renewing of the impluvium also required the creation of a new emptying system, which meant breaking and relaying the previous atrium and fauces flooring. This resulted in the patches, seen above, in the fauces flooring.
See Studi della Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei, 22: L’insula VII, 10 di Pompei , by Angelo Amoroso. (p.80)
According to Amoroso –
the original impluvium was removed and a new smaller impluvium was inserted, during the last few years of the life of the insula.
Some of the blocks of tufa of Nocera which had formed the
collection tank of the impluvium, were transferred to the inside of a trench in
the flooring and in filling a ditch. The new impluvium was reformed
with reused material.
See Studi della
Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei, 22: l'Insula VII, 10 di Pompei,
by Angelo Amoroso. (p.80)
The zoccolo or dado of the atrium walls would have been painted black/violet, preserved towards the north-east side and the east wall.
See Studi della Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei, 22: l'Insula VII, 10 di Pompei, by Angelo Amoroso. (p.42)
According to Bragantini et al, on the west side of the south wall, the zoccolo of the wall was seen to be violet.
In the middle zone was a white central panel (perhaps with a painting?), the side panels were red.
See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1986. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 3. Rome: ICCD. (p.182).
VII.10.5 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking north-east across impluvium in atrium towards peristyle.
Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1738.
According to Amoroso, in the surface of the floor of this room and preserved in situ is the only shaped tufa of Nocera block, belonging to the previous impluvium. (p.80)
See Studi della Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei, 22: l'Insula VII, 10 di Pompei , by Angelo Amoroso. (p.80)
According to Bragantini et al, the flooring in this room was cocciopesto with scattered chippings of black and white tesserae.
The plastered walls had a high protruding zoccolo of cocciopesto, the middle zone was still rough plaster.
See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1986. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 3. Rome: ICCD. (p.182)
On the left, doorway looking through into doorway of cubiculum, on north side of peristyle.
On the right side of the pilaster, one of the two entrances from the atrium to the peristyle.
According to Jashemski, at the rear of the atrium was the peristyle garden, excavated in 1863.
It was enclosed on the north, west and south by a portico supported by seven columns. The columns were red at the bottom, white and fluted above.
There was a pillar flanked by two half-columns at the north-west corner. There was a gutter around the edges of the garden.
See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.191)
According to Bragantini et al, on the east and west walls of this cubiculum, the painted black zoccolo and white middle zone could be seen.
See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1986. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 3. Rome: ICCD. (p.183)
The pillar flanked by one of its two half-columns can be seen on the right.
The floor with the diamond design of netting on lavapesto in this room was obliterated by the laying of rough cocciopesto, further indication of the change of use of the entire house gravitating around the peristyle.
See Studi della Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei, 22: l'Insula VII, 10 di Pompei, by Angelo Amoroso. (p.80)
According to Bragantini et al, red painted plaster could be seen in the middle of the north and east walls.
On the south wall, there was a red plinth but the zoccolo was without colour.
In the middle zone was a central aedicula painted with a blue background, the side panels were red.
In the upper red zone of the wall, architectural paintings were seen.
On the west wall, there was a red plinth and the zoccolo was again colourless, here the central panel was white with red side panels.
The upper zone was red.
See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1986. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 3. Rome: ICCD. (p.183)
According to Eschebach, in these two small rooms on south side of peristyle, one had steps to upper floor, the other was a small storeroom.
See Eschebach, L., 1993. Gebäudeverzeichnis und Stadtplan der antiken Stadt Pompeji. Köln: Böhlau. (p.320)
According to Amoroso, the installation of the workshop (“officina lanifricaria”) determined the transformation of the peristyle, whose south side was filled with counters and by basins set in masonry.
The ample portico space was transformed from a walkway to represent a working courtyard, and probably given a gallery, which was accessed by a ramp located in an alcove described by Fiorelli.
See Studi della
Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei, 22: l'Insula VII, 10 di Pompei, by
Angelo Amoroso. (p.80)
According to Amoroso, at the rear of the house, kettles and tubs were installed in a masonry bench.
This would seem to indicate that the use of the area was changed perhaps into an “officina lanifricaria”.