Casa dell'Alcova
Province
Location
Location Description
An ancient Roman town of Campania destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D.79. Named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
Insula
IV
House
3-4
Garden
Casa dell'Alcova
Keywords
Garden Description
542.IV.3-4. A. Two separate dwellings were united to form this house, excavated in 1928-1929. The northern house has three courtyards. The first (a) is directly off of the vestibule, the second is a covered atrium(b) with a small courtyard that collected roof water, and the third courtyard (c) in the rear supplied light and air to the adjoining rooms and the triclinium. This was too badly damaged to ascertain if it was a garden or even if it once held potted plants. It was compared to the better preserved courtyard in the Casa a Graticcio by Maiuri.
543.IV.3-4. B. The more elegant dwelling to the south had a long corridor on one side of the large triclinium leading to a small paved courtyard with pillars (e) which supplied light and air to the house. The pillars on the south and east stood on a low wall, 0.80 m. high, with a planting area 15 cm. wide in between. This gives the area the feeling of window boxes placed below large windows. There was a well in the southeast corner of this courtyard which received rain water and beyond the courtyard was a secluded alcove. This consisted of an apsed room preceded by a procoeton.
Plans
Places
Dates
unspecified
Excavation Date
1928-1929
Bibliography
- Maiuri, Ercolano, pp. 51, 389-391 and fig. 322 (plan) on p. 389 (worldcat)
- Maiuri, Herculaneum, pp. 31 (worldcat)
- Maiuri, Ercolano, pp. 51, 392 and fig. 322 (plan) on p. 389 (worldcat)