Pompeii/Regio V/termopolium

[dogs4fun]

Wow - can't wait to see the termopolium recently uncovered in Pompeii. The site, not yet open to the public, sports frescoes that are simply amazing - can't wait to again visit Pompeii!!

https://www.reuters.com/article/italy-pompeii/archaeologists-uncover-ancient-street-food-shop-in-pompeii-idUSKBN2900D3

[cruisemom42]

This is the one that was partially excavated last year and turned out to be so well-preserved and interesting that they went back and completed the work. The frescoes look amazing; the colors are so vibrant.

 

Have you been to Villa Oplontis?  The frescoes there blow me away every time I go (and I've been there four times now...)

 

[dogs4fun]

13 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Have you been to Villa Oplontis?  The frescoes there blow me away every time I go (and I've been there four times now...)

Wow, four times - lucky you. I believe that you visited Italy just before the pandemic lockdown commenced?

I have only visited Villa Poppaea/Oplontis once but, yes, the frescoes are amazing. The triclinium frescoes are so vibrant that is difficult to believe that they are two thousand years old. My favorite Poppaea fresco is in the Hall of the Tripod (wish the entire fresco was extant) - I just love the peacock.

I never tire of visiting Italy - new archaeological sites are always uncovered that I want to see. 

If I could take all my dogs to Italy, I would be tempted to rent an apartment a little south of Rome and stay for a year or two. It would be a dream to have Europe at my fingertips!

[bennybear]

Saw the new ones on the news today, so vibrant!  Loved Villa Oplontis last year,  amazing frescoes! 
so much to see in this area!  Has anyone visited the other two villas nearby, the names escape me. 

[cruisemom42]

12 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Has anyone visited the other two villas nearby, the names escape me. 

 

On my most recent visit to the Pompeii/Campania area, it struck home how many Roman villas there were in the countryside around the bigger towns like Pompeii. The area was a major agricultural producer in Roman times, due to the volcanic soil (ironically), and was known for its wine in particular but other crops were also produced. Most of these villas would not have been of the grand "seaside" type like the Villa Oplontis (or Villa Poppaea to be more correct). 

 

These villas tended to be more of a "villa rustica" or working farm. There is an excavated one also in Oplontis (unromantically called Villa B). A number of human remains were found there. I've not visited it but have seen it featured on at least one documentary. I'm not sure if it is open to the public regularly.

 

Near Pompeii, in Boscoreale, is another working villa called Villa Regina. I have visited that one. It is well preserved but certainly does not have the exquisite frescoes and mosaics of the town houses in Pompeii or Herculaneum. In fact, one is left with the impression that, despite being quite close to the outskirts of Pompeii, it had to be well-fortified (stout walls and gates around the villa) to protect against possible bandits or other attackers. 

 

Another more luxurious villa (though smallish) near Boscoreale was called the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor. For some reason, it was not conserved after excavation, and a number of the beautiful frescoes found there later became part of the Roman collection of the Metropolitan Museum in NYC.

 

Last February I also got to visit the Imperial Villa (said to have originally been built by one Vedius Pollio, who then left it to Augustus in his will) perched on a point in Naples called Posillipo. It is only open a few times each month, and is accessed via a thrilling walk through an ancient Roman tunnel, cut straight through the rock. The villa itself isn't well preserved as a lot of the stone was repurposed. But there are remains of a theatre and odeon on the site that are impressive.

 

And of course there is the unique Villa of the Mysteries at Pompeii, just outside one of the gates -- recently restored and with some of the most unique Roman frescoes I've ever seen.

 

The one I am itching to see is the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum of course, where all the scorched but preserved scrolls were found. Perhaps the villa of the father-in-law of Julius Caesar...

 

Finally, the several villas at Stabiae that have been partially restored (many more were excavated and then reburied, or still remain unexcavated) indicate that this was an area where the wealthy had large seaside residences as well.  Last February I visited the two best known villas there (for the second time),  the Villa Arianna and the Villa San Marco, and was pleased to see that more work is being done to conserve them -- they are well worth a visit. (I think you have been there also?). 

 

And then there is Baiae, which was a riot of villas, all piled on top of each other and many now at the bottom of the Bay, unfortunately....  

 

As dogs4fun says, it would be great to be able to spend several months or even years in the area, investigating all there is to see there!

[bennybear]

@cruisemom42 thank you for all the wonderful information.  I had planned on visiting the Villa Arianna and San Marco last year,  but had messed up my knee climbing Priene, after a long day in a van to see Meteora.  So my extra trip to Naples was spent getting an ultrasound.  Luckily no major damage, but ships doctor forbade me to climb even a flight of stairs.  So the silver lining, always more to see next time!  
Haven’t visited Baiae either, sigh!  Loved Caserta, and visited Ischia one time.  But that Villa with the tunnel sounds amazing!  Have you been to Paestum?   So I have to see Pompeii again,  and  in Sicily Agrigento and the valley of the temples also high on my list!  Absolutely loved Syracuse and Ortygia, and Noto last year as well! 

[dogs4fun]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

The one I am itching to see is the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum

Me too!!