VI.15.1 Pompeii. House of the
Vettii or Casa dei Vettii or Domus Vettiorum.
Excavated 1894-1895. Linked to VI.15.27.
In Notizie degli Scavi, prior to January 1897, this house was described as being in Insula 12 of Reg. VI, afterwards it was changed to Insula 15 of Reg. VI.
Entrance, Vestibule and Atrium
Part: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 VI.15.1
Plan
VI.15.1 Pompeii. 1898 conclusion of who was the inhabitant by Sogliano.
Translation: “Who was the happy inhabitant of this rich and
splendid house? From the seals found
in the atrium (see col. 252) it can be argued that at the time of the
catastrophe it was inhabited by the Vettii, a family known from numerous
electoral programma; and A. Vettio Conviva
is among the witnesses to one of Cecilio Giocondo's receipts. It is true that among
the upper layers of the earth, north of the peristyle, another seal was found
on 13 March 1895 (Notizie, p. 109) with the legend P. Crusi Fausti; but it is very
probable that it belonged to some tenant living in one of the small quarters on
the upper floor.
That the Vettii practiced trading can be deduced, with some probability, both from the attributes of Mercury repeated three times in the decoration of the house, and from the sacrifice to Fortune represented on the north wall of the atrium.
”See Sogliano, A. La
Casa dei Vettii in Mon. Ant. 1898, (p.388)
Entrance and Vestibule
![VI.15.1 Pompeii. Vicolo dei Vettii from Vicolo di Mercurio looking north. VI.16. According to Della Corte, found inside the house were two seal/signets and one bronze finger ring, these read –
A. Vetti
Restituti or A. Vettius Restitutus [see S.100]
A.V.CO or A. V(ettius) Co(nviva) [see S.99]
A. Vetti
Convivaes or A. Vettius Convia [see S.98]
Combined with graffiti found on the south corner of the insula, these proved to Della Corte that this was the house built by two rich merchants Aulus Vettius Restitutus and Aulus Vettius Conviva. Although this house illustrated the luxury of the commercial classes during the last decades of the city’s life, nothing was revealed of how these two made their money or their business. These graffiti were CIL IV 3522 and 3509.
Also found on the same wall were CIL IV 3506, 3507 and 3521.
See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino.(p.67-71)
According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de), these read -
[[3]] Sabinum aed(ilem)
[[3]] Restitutus rog(at) [CIL IV 3522]
Vetti Con[vi]va Augustali[s] [CIL IV 3509]
Appuleium IIvir(um) [CIL IV 3506]
Liberalis [CIL IV 3507]
A(ulum) Trebium Valentem aed(ilem) o(ro) v(os) f(aciatis) Hilarus rog(at) [CIL IV 3521]](6%2015%2001%20entrance_files/image004.jpg)
VI.15.1 Pompeii. Vicolo dei Vettii from Vicolo di Mercurio looking north. VI.16, on right.
According to Della Corte, on the facade of the house on the south-east corner of the insula was graffiti –
Vetti Conviva,
Augustalis, (fac) (CIL IV 3509)
(A. Vettius) Restitutus rog(at) (CIL IV 3522)
See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.67)
According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de), they read as:
Vetti Con[vi]va,
Augustalis, [s] (CIL IV 3509)
[[3]] Sabinum
aed(ilem)
[[3]] Restitutus
rog(at) (CIL IV 3522)
VI.15.1 Pompeii, on left. January 2017. Looking north on Vicolo
dei Vettii.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Looking north towards entrance
doorway.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023. Looking towards entrance doorway
on west side of Vicolo dei Vettii. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. January 2017. Looking north from entrance doorway
on west side of Vicolo dei Vettii.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. January 2023.
Looking west through entrance doorway across atrium towards peristyle.
Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. January 2017. Steppingstones across Vicolo dei
Vettii outside entrance doorway.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Looking
south towards entrance doorway.
Foto
Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. March 2018. Remaining plaster from north side of
entrance doorway.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Lava steps from roadway to entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Looking west through entrance doorway.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Detail from south side of entrance
doorway.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Detail from north side of entrance
doorway.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Looking
west to area above doorway and cubed capitals on either side.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1
Pompeii. July 2017. South side of upper doorway with detail of cubed capital.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1
Pompeii. July 2017. North side of upper doorway with detail of cubed capital.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. 1897.
Watercolour by Luigi Bazzani, looking towards entrance doorway.
Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum. Inventory number 5-1898.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Looking west across doorway threshold and flooring from entrance fauces (a) to vestibule (b).
At the rear of the entrance threshold in another with rectangular recesses that would have held the main doors.
The small threshold to the right could be used to allow entry
without the need to open the heavy main doors.
See Carratelli, G. P.,
1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici:
Vol. V. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p.
469.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. January 2017. Looking west across flooring in
vestibule towards atrium.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1
Pompeii. July 2017. Looking east from flooring in vestibule (b) towards fauces
(a) and entrance doorway.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017.
Thresholds of doorways and flooring from vestibule lava step, down to entrance. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Detail of doorway threshold.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Thresholds of entrance doorways from north side. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1
Pompeii. July 2017. Detail of flooring on south side of vestibule.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. January 2023.
Looking west from vestibule (b) across atrium towards peristyle. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2012. Looking west from vestibule (b) across atrium towards peristyle. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Threshold from vestibule to atrium (c). Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. January 2017. Looking west along south (left)
wall of vestibule (b).
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023. Left hand (south) wall of vestibule with
graffiti. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. August 2023. Detail of graffiti on left
hand wall of vestibule. Photo courtesy of Maribel Velasco.
![VI.15.1 Pompeii. c. 1898. Description of graffiti by Sogliano –
“The vestibule, as the entrance, was decorated with white plaster, with a high red zoccolo (dado):
on the south wall, just above the zoccolo was a graffito:
Graffito 1) above, seen in very thin letters –
verna a(ssibus) duobus.
Graffito 2) above.
According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this read
Eutychis Graeca a(ssibus) II moribus bellis [CIL IV 4592]
See Sogliano, A. La Casa dei Vettii in Pompei Mon. Ant. 1898, (p.235).](6%2015%2001%20entrance_files/image044.jpg)
VI.15.1 Pompeii. c. 1898. Description of graffiti by Sogliano –
“The vestibule, as the entrance, was decorated with white plaster, with a high red zoccolo (dado):
on the south wall, just above the zoccolo was a graffito:
Graffito 1) above, seen in very thin letters –
verna a(ssibus) duobus.
Graffito 2) above.
According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this read
Eutychis
Graeca a(ssibus) II moribus bellis
[CIL IV 4592]
See
Sogliano, A. La Casa dei Vettii in Pompei Mon.
Ant. 1898, (p.235).
VI.15.1 Pompeii. c. 1898. Description
of graffiti by Sogliano –
“On the red zoccolo, in small letters
–
ATR
Atr(ium)?
See Sogliano, A. La Casa dei Vettii in
Pompei Mon. Ant. 1898, (p.236).
![VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Graffiti on left hand wall of vestibule. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
According to Varone, this reads -
Eutychis
Graeca a(ssibus) II
moribus bellis [CIL IV 4592]
He translates it as Eutychis, Greek, nice mannered, for two asses.
He proposes that she was a slave girl, born in the household, perhaps of Greek parents, and that her workplace was the cella meretricia in the servants’ quarters near the kitchen.
See Varone, A., 2002. Erotica Pompeiana: Love Inscriptions on the Walls of Pompeii, Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. p. 143.](6%2015%2001%20entrance_files/image047.jpg)
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Graffiti on left hand wall of vestibule. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
According to Varone, this reads -
Eutychis
Graeca a(ssibus)
II
moribus
bellis [CIL IV 4592]
He translates it as Eutychis, Greek, nice mannered, for two asses.
He proposes that she was a slave girl, born in the household, perhaps of Greek parents, and that her workplace was the cella meretricia in the servants’ quarters near the kitchen.
See Varone, A., 2002. Erotica Pompeiana: Love Inscriptions on the Walls of Pompeii, Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. p. 143.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. Graffiti on left hand wall of vestibule, as recorded in CIL IV 4592.
CIL describes it as “in vestibuli pariete sinistro, in tectorio albo, longa 0,13”.
In the vestibule on the left wall, on white plaster, length 0,13.
See Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum Vol. IV, Supp 2, Part 2, 1909. Berlin: Reimer, p. 542.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Left hand wall of vestibule. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Left hand wall of vestibule. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006. Left hand wall of vestibule.
According to Sogliano, on the south wall in the middle of a black panel was a rectangular panel (0.30 x 0.15m) on a red background, showing three cocks, of which two were fighting, and the third carried a branch in its beak.
See Sogliano A. La Casa dei Vettii in Monumenti Antichi VIII. Milan: Hoepli, p. 236.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. Old undated postcard, showing “the fight of the cocks” from left, or south wall. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. August 2023. Description card for entrance and
adjoining rooms. Photo courtesy of Maribel
Velasco.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2018.
Looking through to atrium and north-west corner of vestibule (b).
Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Upper north-west corner, and upper north or right-hand wall of vestibule (b). Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023.
Detail from centre of upper north, or right-hand wall of vestibule. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2020.
Looking towards north-west corner of vestibule, and through to atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2020.
Looking towards north-west corner of vestibule, including detail of dado/zoccolo.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006. North, or right-hand wall of vestibule.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2018.
North-west corner of vestibule. Photo courtesy of
Aude Durand.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006. North-west corner of vestibule with painting of a bearded Priapus.
It seems to suggest good health is worth its weight in gold. A large basket of fruit represents the abundance of the house.
VI.15.1 Pompeii.
January 2017. Painting of a bearded Priapus in north-west corner of vestibule.
Foto
Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Painting of a bearded Priapus in vestibule. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1
Pompeii. 4th April 1980, pre-earthquake. Painting of a bearded Priapus
in vestibule. Photo courtesy of
Tina Gilbert.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. 1968. Painting of a bearded Priapus in vestibule.
On the right is the shutter of the lockable case in which this painting used to be enclosed.
According to Wilhelmina the custodians with the keys could be persuaded to unlock the case, if presented with a suitable tip by the tourists.
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.
J68f1814
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2020.
Painting of a bearded Priapus in vestibule. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2018.
Painting of a
bearded Priapus from vestibule. Photo
courtesy of Aude Durand.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Detail of bearded Priapus, in vestibule. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017.
Detail from painting in vestibule, seeming to suggest good health is worth its weight in gold.
A large basket of fruit represents the abundance of the house. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii, 1978. Detail of the basket of fruit. 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.
J78f0646
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Detail of the basket of fruit. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. 1968. Detail of the basket of fruit. 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.
J68f1815
VI.15.1 Pompeii. January 2017. Looking towards upper north wall of
vestibule.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2020.
Painted panel from north wall of vestibule at west end. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023. Detail of painted panel from north wall of
vestibule at west end. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. January 2017. Detail of painted panel from
north wall of vestibule at west end.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. Detail of painted panel from north wall of vestibule, at west end. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006. Painted panel from north wall of vestibule, at west end.
According to Sogliano, the two black panels on the north wall also contained a small rectangular panel on a red background.
This represented the attributes of Mercury, being a ram, and a vase, and placed on a table were the caduceus and the purse.
Under the table, on the floor was a tortoise.
See Sogliano, A: La Casa dei Vettii in Pompei, 1898, (p.237).
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2020.
North wall of vestibule at east end. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. May 2017. North wall of vestibule at east end. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. Pompeii. 2020. Detail of painting in
vestibule from north wall, at east end. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006. Detail of painting in vestibule from north wall, at east end.
According to Sogliano, the two black panels on the north wall also contained a small rectangular panel on a red background.
This showed two deer and an idol placed on a pedestal.
See Sogliano, A: La Casa dei Vettii in Pompei, 1898,
(p.237).
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006. Painting of swan in vestibule.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2020.
Painting of griffin on west wall of vestibule. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Part: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 VI.15.1
Plan