I.5.2 Officina Coriarioum of M. Vesonius Primus

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

Excavated 1873-1874.

Province

Italia
Italia (Pleiades:1052)

Location

Pompeii (Pleiades:433032)

Location Description

An ancient city of Campania destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in CE 79, Pompeii was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Sublocation

Region I

Insula

Insula V

Garden Description

A. This tannery was excavated in 1873-1874. The peristyle courtyard had a portico to the north and east supported by brick pillars which had been most likely been built when the original house was converted to a tannery. Against the west wall there was a masonry triclinium (l.medius 4.99 m.; l.summus and l.imus 4.96 m.; table, 1.78 x 0.93 m.). The top of the triclinium table held the famous mosaic of a skull (0.45 x 0.50 m. Mus. Naz. inv. no. 109 982;; Reusch no. 163). The mosaic representing the Epicurian philosophy features a large skull over a butterfly on a wheel representing the soul and time. On either side of the skull are the possessions of both the rich and poor with a plumb line hanging over the skull indicating the equalizing power of death. The northeastern part of the courtyard was a rectangle, the north side of which was formed by the three first intercolumniations counting from the northeast corner of the north portico, and the east side by the first two intercolumniations counting from the same corner. This area was paved with opus signinum. The little area around the triclinium between the paved area and the west wall was believed to be a garden according to Mau.

B. The south half of the insula was also excavated in 1873-74. It was accessed from the back door in the peristyle garden of the tannery by descending six steps. This was a large open area that had been cleared of previous structures. Formerly there had been five doors in the south wall leading to the pomerium but these were closed up. This area could have been used as a kitchen garden as suggested by Tatiana Warscher or for drying leather as suggested by Viola.

Bibliography

Brendel, O. 1934. "Untersuchungen zur Allegorie des pompejanischen Totenkopfmosaiks," RM (1934), pp 157-179.
Fiorelli, G. 1875. Descrizione di Pompei, pp. 452-453. (worldcat), p. 452. (worldcat)
GiornSc, n.s., 3 (1874-1877), col. 93.
Jashemski, W.F. 1979. Garden of Pompeii: Herculaneum and the villas destroyed by Vesuvius, fig. 268 on p. 181 and p. 198. (worldcat)
Jashemski, W.F. 1993. Gardens of Pompeii: Herculaneum and the villas destroyed by Vesuvius. Vol. II, Appendices, p. 33. (worldcat)
Mau, BdI (1874), pp. 272-275.
Mau, A. 1907. Pompeii: It's life and art, pp. 398-399.
Niccolini, F. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompeii, Naples, Vol. II, p. 48 (mosaic).
Niccolini, F. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompeii, Naples, Vol. IV, pp. 1-2.
Sogliano, A. 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79, cols. 9-10, 49 and pl. 2.
Soprano, P. 1950, 'I triclini all'aperto di Pompei', In Pompeiana, raccolta di studi per il secondo centenario degli scavi di Pompei, Napoli, Gaetano Macchiaroli, Editore, p. 294, no. 3.
Viola, L. 1879. Gli scavi di Pompei dal 1873 al 1878, p. 15
Warscher, T. 1937-1957. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus, plate 32

Keywords

Garden

Officina Coriariorum of M. Vesonius Primus (tannery) with a peristyles (Roman courtyards) garden and large open space to the rear.

Keywords

Places

I.5.3/16

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

Excavated 1874.

Province

Italia
Italia (Pleiades:1052)

Location

Pompeii (Pleiades:433032)

Location Description

An ancient city of Campania destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in CE 79, Pompeii was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Sublocation

Region I

Insula

Insula V

Garden

Hospitium garden, possibly planted in antiquity.

Garden Description

This site had been destroyed in antiquity and probably had been a hospitium. Excavated in 1874, the remains of a watering trough for animals and a stable were uncovered. Often demolished sites were planted but it could not be determined if there was vegetation present at the time of the eruption. The west wall contained an arched lararium niche.

Bibliography

Boyce, G.K. 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii, p. 25, no. 34.
Fiorelli, G. 1875. Descrizione di Pompei, pp. 452-453. (worldcat)
Jashemski, W.F. 1993. Gardens of Pompeii: Herculaneum and the villas destroyed by Vesuvius. Vol. II, Appendices, p. 33. (worldcat)
Viola, L. 1879. Gli scavi di Pompei dal 1873 al 1878, p. 16.

Insula V on Gardens of the Roman Empire

I.5.2 Officina Coriarioum of M. Vesonius Primus

Dates

Province

Location

Location Description

Sublocation

Insula

Garden Description

Bibliography

Keywords

Garden

Keywords

Places

I.5.3/16

Dates

Province

Location

Location Description

Sublocation

Insula

Garden

Garden Description

Bibliography

Keywords

Places