VI.9.6 Pompeii. Casa dei
Dioscuri or House of Castor & Pollux
or House of M. Nigidius Vaccula or N. Nasennius Nigidius Vaccula, or Casa de’ due fratelli.
Quick Outline
This page has been created to give an appreciation of the main rooms and areas of the beautiful Casa dei Dioscuri aka House of Castor & Pollux.
Detail
If you are then interested to see the house in more detail, the rooms are shown in greater detail in the subsequent parts.
Atrium Area Large peristyle Pseudoperistyle and east side Plan
VI.9.6 Pompeii. May 2012. Looking east towards entrance doorway on Via di Mercurio. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. September 2017.
Looking towards north wall of entrance corridor/fauces leading
into atrium, with reproduction of original painting.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. Found 18th June 1828 in room 1, the fauces of entrance corridor.
Wall painting of one of the two Dioscuri.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9455.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. September 2017.
South wall of entrance corridor/fauces, leading to atrium, with reproduction of original painting at side of doorway to room 2.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. Found 18th June 1828 in room 1, fauces or entrance corridor.
Wall painting of one of the two Dioscuri.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9453.
VI.9.6 Pompeii, August 2021. Looking east from entrance corridor,
across atrium to garden area. Photo courtesy of Robert Hanson.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 3, looking south-east across atrium, towards the doorway to the peristyle.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. November 2023.
Doorway to room 6,
entrance to peristyle on south side of room 4, the vestibule in atrium. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. November 2023.
Room
6, looking towards north wall on west side of doorway to atrium. Photo courtesy
of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, north-west corner of peristyle.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, looking towards west portico and west wall of peristyle.
Room 6, looking towards south-west corner of peristyle from east portico. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, looking across to south-west corner of peristyle.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, south wall of peristyle, with entrance doorway to atrium of VI.9.7.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, east end of south wall of peristyle.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, looking south-east across deep pool in peristyle.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. About 1832. Drawing by Gell of peristyle with large basin and fountain. Looking west from room 22.
On the pilaster on the left is a painting of Perseus rescuing Andromeda.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 8998.
On the pilaster on the right is the painting of Medea with her children.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 8977.
On the inside of the pilasters at the far west end are two paintings of the slaughter of the sons and daughters of Niobe.
Wall painting of slaughter of the daughters of Niobe.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9304.
Wall painting of slaughter of sons of Niobe.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9302.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, looking east towards north-east corner of peristyle.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. January 2023. Room 6, looking west along north portico, from north-east corner. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009.
Room 6, looking towards north side of peristyle from south side near doorway from atrium of VI.9.7.
The doorway, on the right, returns back into the atrium.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 8, on south side of tablinum.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. November
2023.
Room 8, looking east
along north wall from doorway. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. November 2023.
Room
8, looking towards east wall from doorway. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. November 2023.
Room
8, looking towards south-east corner and south wall. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. November 2023.
Room
8, looking towards west wall through window from garden area, with doorway into
atrium, on right.
Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 9, looking east across tablinum, with north wall, on left.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. January 2023. Room 9, looking towards south wall of tablinum. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009.
Room 10, corridor and stairs on north side of tablinum. Looking east along corridor.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 10, corridor. East wall of stairs to upper floor in north wall of corridor.
Room 12, a room on north side of atrium with coloured mosaic floor. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 12, looking towards north wall.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 3, looking north-east across atrium, to rooms on the north side.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 14 in north-west corner of atrium.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 14, north wall.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 14, west wall.
The central wall painting, now very faded, was of Narcissus.
See Helbig, W.,
1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv
verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (1364)
See Real Museo Borbonico, I, table 4.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorways to rooms 16 and 15, on west side of atrium.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. January 2023.
Room 16, looking towards west wall. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. January 2023. Room 17, garden area, looking south-east from west portico. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. January 2023.
Room 17, aedicula lararium against east wall of garden area. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 18, west wall with small arched niche, in kitchen and latrine.
According to Boyce, a fragmentary painting of Fortuna holding a rudder upon a globe, and below her, the two serpents and an altar, was reported to have been found in the kitchen. No trace of the painting exists now.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.50, 177B).
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 18, large latrine near east wall of kitchen and latrine.
According to Hobson, this latrine is just over one metre wide and would have had more than one seat.
This would allow for “private” socialisation.
See Hobson, B., 2009. Latrinae et foricae: Toilets in the Roman World. London; Duckworth. (p.80)
He also stated that this latrine possibly would have seated two or three persons.
It had a high decorated dado, painted red, with yellow panels but without motifs.
In the area above the dado, a garland of flowers is visible. The floor is a mixture of herringbone and oval tiling.
See Hobson, B., 2009. Latrinae et foricae: Toilets in the Roman World. London; Duckworth. (p.86 and fig.110)
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009.
Room 10, corridor looking west to front of house, with doorway to room 21, in north wall.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. January 2023. Room 21, looking towards south-west corner. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. November 2023.
Room 9, looking
west through tablinum towards atrium and entrance doorway, from west portico of
garden area.
Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.9.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 22, looking south towards doorway to room 24 on left, and mosaic floor of peristyle on right.