VII.4.56 Pompeii. Casa del Granduca di Toscana or House of the Grand Duke

or House of the Marble Silenus.

Excavated 1833 and 1845.

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VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, atrium. North wall and north-east corner, with recess.

Under the dead ivy in the top left-hand corner are 2 lararium niches.

According to Boyce, above a red dado (height 1.32) ran a cornice of painted stucco and above it was the lararium painting.

It was on a white background, but poorly preserved when excavated.

The painting showed a human figure sacrificing at an altar. 

Above the painting ran a second stucco cornice with a projecting ledge above that.

Resting on the ledge were the bases of three fluted columns which framed the two niches.

One of the niches was rectangular with its interior walls painted rose colour.

The other niche had a vaulted ceiling and had white walls.

A fragment of a half-column found nearby led Avellino to think that the whole shrine was enclosed by an aedicula.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.66)

He quotes his sources as:

Avellino, Mem. Accad. Ercolanese, iii, 1843, 365; and Breton, 374.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. Pre 1942. Room 1, atrium. Looking towards north-east corner.

On the left at the top of the north wall, two lararium niches can be seen. 

See Warscher, T. 1942. Catalogo illustrato degli affreschi del Museo Nazionale di Napoli. Sala LXXIX. Vol.1. Rome, Swedish Institute.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 4, cubiculum in north-east corner of atrium.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 4, east wall of cubiculum.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 4, north wall of cubiculum.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 4, cubiculum. North-west corner, with doorway to atrium.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 4, cubiculum. South wall, with small doorway to room 5.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 5 from atrium.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 5, east wall of cubiculum

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 5, cubiculum. North wall, with small doorway to room 4.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 5, cubiculum. West wall and north-west corner.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking west across atrium.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 6, ala on east side of atrium.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, east wall.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, north wall.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, north wall.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, north wall and north-east corner.

VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009.

Corridor leading to garden area, on east side of tablinum, with doorways to rooms 7 and 8.

Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 1      Plan