“Villa of the Mysteries”

Particular features   It was outside Pompeii (see map) It was built on an artificial platform to make the building level (the space underneath was used as a cellar)

Particular features (continued)    Damaged in the earthquake of AD62 and was being restored when Vesuvius erupted.

Much of the villa was dedicated to farming.

Famous for the beautiful wall paintings in the dining room.

Entrance to the house (see plan)  Unusual because it leads into a peristyle, not the atrium.

Entrance to the house

 In the middle of the peristyle is an entrance to the underground cellar.

Entrance to the house

 Much of this side of the house is to do with farming – in particular, rooms for pressing wine and oil.

Torcularium   This was a room where grapes were pressed to make wine.

There were two presses here: one of them has been reconstructed.

Reconstruction of a press  The “ram’s head” press

The press – how did it work?

  The wooden trunk (with ram’s head sculpted at one end) was lowered, using a system of pulleys, onto grapes which had already been trampled. The juice ran down a channel, which led to the cellar, and was stored in “dolia”, huge jars which were set into the floor.

“Dolia” – storage jars

Tuscan atrium  At the far end, the peristyle and entrance can be seen.

Tuscan atrium  There are plaster casts of original shutters, made by “ Fiorelli’s process ”

Small atrium   This is a “tetrastyle” atrium Pile of lime found here – evidence of restoration work going on at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius in AD79.

Tablinum - study   Decorated with Egyptian-style miniature paintings.

Above the doorway leading to the veranda, there is a curtain rail complete with rings

Veranda    This was semi circular with terraced gardens to the left and right.

There were covered walkways on either side.

This part of the house faced the sea.

Triclinium – dining room   The walls were painted with life sized figures, showing the initiation into the rites of Bacchus, the god of wine.

If the owners of the house were involved in the worship of this god (a mystery religion), this might explain why they lived outside the town – they could follow it in private.

 A statue of the Empress Livia was also found in the house: this suggests that the owners worshipped Augustus’ wife.