Herculaneum. Villa dei Papiri or Villa of
the Papyri or Villa dei Pisoni.
Part 6. Casa dei rilievi dionisiaci or House of the Dionysiac Reliefs and seaside pavilion.
The
complex and atrium Lower
levels Reconstructions,
the Getty Villa and the Jashemskis Monumental
structure Baths House
of the Dionysiac Reliefs and pavilion Sculptures Frescoes Mosaics Plan
On this page: House of the Dionysiac Reliefs Seaside pavilion
Casa dei
rilievi dionisiaci or House of the Dionysiac Reliefs
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. 2013. Plan of villa and edge of portico of adjacent baths.
The room numbers are those used on these Herculaneuminpictures pages but may differ from those found elsewhere.
See Guidobaldi, M.P. and Esposito D., 2013. Herculaneum: Art of a Buried City. New York: Abbeville Press, p. 151, fig. 123.
House of Dionysiac
Reliefs, Herculaneum, on right. October 2023.
Looking north, with South-Western Baths, on left. Photo courtesy of
Johannes Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. October 2023. Looking north-east. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, October 2023.
Detail of difficulty of excavation of volcanic
debris in walls of pit/quarry. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, October 2023. Looking north towards upper floor. Photo
courtesy of Johannes Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, October 2023. Looking north, with detail of an upper floor
room. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. 2005.
Room (m), with the red and white painted plaster, is to the right and is where the Dionysiac reliefs were found.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs,
Herculaneum. October 2023.
Under the metal
roof, at the side of the baths complex, is part of a large residential building.
Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. June 2012.
Under the metal roof, at the side of the baths complex is part of a large residential building
Looking north-east from room (q), lower left.
On the extreme left, centre of photo, is the fountain in room (p), at the rear of it is room (l3).
In front of it, and between it and room (q), is the biclinium room (n).
In the centre of the photo, with painted walls, is room (m), with a doorway leading south into room (o).
On the extreme right is another room (f2), with a doorway leading north into room (o).
At the side of room (o) are rooms (u), (t) and (v). Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac
Reliefs, Herculaneum. July 2004.
Looking north from room (q), across room (n)
into room (p). Photo courtesy of Jennifer Stephens. ©jfsPAP0693
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. July 2004. Looking towards north-east corner of
room (m).
Photo
courtesy of Jennifer Stephens. ©jfsPAP0692
House of Dionysiac Reliefs,
Herculaneum. October 2023.
Looking towards east wall in north-east corner of room (m). Photo
courtesy of Johannes Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. July 2004.
Room (m),
remaining decoration from north-east corner.
Photo
courtesy of Jennifer Stephens. ©jfsPAP0691
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. July 2010.
Room (m), with painted walls. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. 2005. Looking from room (n) to room (m), with painted walls.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. July 2010.
Room (m), south-east corner with doorway leading to room (t), not fully excavated. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
According to Guidobaldi, the room with the most interest is the large vaulted room (m), looking on high, on the east wall one can see the remains of two decorative phases of the lunette.
On the east side of the room are visible some portions of mosaic flooring with black tesserae with patches in coarse cocciopesto.
The room opens to the north with a large window onto the open area with fountain (p), while a large opening puts it in communication to the south with room (o), only partially investigated.
In the east wall there were two openings: the one at the eastern extremity led into a room not included in the current section of the excavation (note the traces of the jambs and lintels of charred wood).
The pictorial decoration of the room is traceable to the IV Style.
Of extreme interest has been the discovery on the south wall, at a height of 2.03 m from the floor, of a relief in Greek marble with two satyrs and a nymph attributable to Neo-attic production, of which a plaster-cast is now shown there.
The Relief was inserted in the central panel of the middle zone of the wall, fastened by two metal clamps.
Under the metal roof are the remains of the excavated area with fountain (p) and biclinium (n).
The biclinium, in poor state of preservation, preserves the preparation of a biclinium structure in masonry with rectangular basin in the corner.
On the west wall, besides the trace of a bourbon tunnel, one can observe the remains of the pictorial decoration in IV stile with grass tufts/plants.
On the upper terrace (best seen as one exits the site), 9 rooms have been excavated belonging to one or more dwellings and partly damaged by the passages of the tunnels.
See Guidobaldi, M.P, 2009: Ercolano, guida agli scavi. Naples, Electa Napoli, (p.132-3).
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. September 2016. Two marble reliefs.
Inventory number 79613 (upper) found in 1997 and inventory number 88091 (lower) found in 2009. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. 2016/2017.
Marble relief with Dionysian scenes. (Augustan
period). Now in Herculaneum deposits. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum.
Dionysian marble relief showing two Satyrs and a Nymph, all engaged in the pouring and drinking of wine.
Found in 1997. Inventory number 79613.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. July 2004. Dionysian
marble relief found in 1997, showing two Satyrs and a Nymph.
Photo
courtesy of Jennifer Stephens. ©jfsPAP_Frieze0687
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. February 2009.
Room (m). The second marble relief is shown attached to the wall at the time of discovery.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs,
Herculaneum.
Second marble relief with Dionysian scenes. (Augustan period). Now in
Herculaneum deposits. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
This shows a dancing Maenad and a bearded man, probably Dionysius, facing each other on the right side.
On the left two female figures stand before an archaic Greek sculpture of Dionysius who is holding a kantharos.
The adult woman has her hand on the shoulder of the younger one in what seems to be a protective gesture.
The object held by the younger woman is difficult to identify, a tool or torch, perhaps related to a particular ritual.
Found on February 18, 2009 at a height of 2 metres from the soil level, built into the painted plaster facing the eastern wall of a large hall (9.80m x 6.50m).
These reliefs were found embedded into two walls of a room whose fourth wall was open, overlooking the sea.
There was probably a third matching relief on the third wall, but it was lost along with the wall during the eruption.
In 2009, the HCP turned its attentions to the House of the Dionysiac Reliefs to stabilize and conserve the excavated site.
On the last day of the project, the mud caking a section of wall fell off and a second marble relief in even better condition than the first one saw the light of day for the first time since 79AD.
Since it was found still embedded in the wall, archaeologists were given the rare opportunity to study how these panels were mounted. There was no mortar used.
They were placed in a niche two inches deep and held in place with iron cramps, two on the long sides, one on the short sides.
Once the panel was in place, the exposed edges were filled with painted plaster.
Inserting marble Greek-style reliefs (typoi) was very fashionable and popular amongst wealthy Romans from the 1st century BC onwards.
Cicero is recorded in a letter dating to 67BC asking a friend to purchase for him two marble reliefs to insert in the painted decoration of his villa in Tusculum (ad Atticum 1.10.3).
Getting to explore the practical mechanics of their installation was of major archaeological significance.
“On the eastern end of the northern wall was a single painting of a mythological theme with the image of Cassandra”.
Details taken from the information board on site.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. June 2012. Looking north from room (f2), with doorway to room (o), centre left.
On the north side of room (o) is a doorway into room (m). Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. June 2012. Looking north from room (f2), with room (q), lower left.
In the centre of the photo, on the left, is the biclinium room (n). Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Under the metal roof are the remains of the excavated area with fountain (p) and biclinium (n)
The biclinium, in poor state of preservation, preserves the preparation of a biclinium structure in masonry with rectangular basin in the corner.
On the west wall, besides the trace of a bourbon tunnel, one can observe the remains of the pictorial decoration in IV stile with grass tufts/plants.
See Guidobaldi, M.P, 2009: Ercolano, guida agli scavi. Naples, Electa Napoli, (p.132-3).
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. October 2023. Looking north into room (p). Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. June 2012.
Looking north across pool in room (p), through window into room (l3). Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. June 2012. Room (l3), north wall. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. July 2010.
In room (p) a fountain and pool has been found, provided with a rectangular masonry basin with upper border edged with marble, at the centre it had a masonry column pierced by a lead pipe/tube, coming from the adjoining room (l3), overlooked by a large window onto this area.
Looking north across rectangular basin of pool towards window. On the right, east, is a window into room (m). Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum. July 2004.
Looking north-west across rectangular basin of pool in room (p).
Photo
courtesy of Jennifer Stephens. ©jfsPAP0686
House of Dionysiac
Reliefs, Seaside pavilion
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, at east end of Villa dei Papiri site, June 2014.
Looking west to collapsed front. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, at east end of Villa dei Papiri site, during the Nuovi Scavi.
According to De Simone, this villa is from the late Republican period.
See De Simone, A., 2010. Rediscovering the Villa of the Papyri in the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum. Berlin: De Gruyter, p. 9.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, 2009, rooms (a) to (f).
Rooms (a), (b) and (c) were richly decorated.
Room (a) was a cubiculum diurnum with the alcove for the day bed marked off on the mosaic floor by a row of white triangles on a black ground.
Room (c) was also a cubiculum diurnum with the mosaic floor with a frieze marking off the rear alcove composed of white tesserae laid diagonally, surrounded by a double band of black tesserae laid orthogonally.
Room (b) was a great banqueting hall with a tripartite entrance and a pavement in diamond patterned opus sectile which had already been removed at the time of the eruption, showing that this part of the complex was undergoing restoration.
See Guidobaldi, M.P. and Esposito D., 2013. Herculaneum: Art of a Buried City. New York: Abbeville Press, p. 151, fig. 124.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, June 2012.
Looking east from room (e1) across cubiculum diurnum room (c) to room (a) that mirrored it. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, June 2012. Room (a) and collapsed room (e) with room (b) to the right.
At the rear, in the centre of the photo, an old Bourbon tunnel can be seen. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs,
Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, October 2023.
Looking east towards collapsed room (e). Photo courtesy of Johannes
Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, June 2012.
Looking north along collapsed portico (e) and terrace (f). Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, June 2012.
East edge, looking north along terrace (f). Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, June 2012.
East end, looking north-west to portico (e) in front of banqueting hall room (b). Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs,
Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, October 2023.
Looking north on east side of seaside pavilion. Photo courtesy of
Johannes Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs,
Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, October 2023.
Detail from east side of seaside pavilion. Photo courtesy of Johannes
Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, October 2023.
Detail from east side of seaside pavilion, with doorway, on right. Photo
courtesy of Johannes Eber.
House of Dionysiac Reliefs,
Herculaneum, seaside pavilion, October 2023.
East side of seaside pavilion, in north-east corner of site, with
Bourbon tunnel, on right. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
Herculaneum Villa dei Papiri.
October 2023.
Looking east through Bourbon tunnel towards Insula II and beachfront. Photo
courtesy of Johannes Eber.
Inside tunnel at west end of Herculaneum beachfront leading to insula I
and villa dei Papiri complex.
Herculaneum.
July 2004. The Bourbon tunnel at east end of site near House of Dionysiac Reliefs, seaside pavilion,
Photo
courtesy of Jennifer Stephens. ©jfsPAP0657
The
complex and atrium Lower levels Reconstructions, the Getty
Villa and the Jashemskis Monumental structure Baths House of the Dionysiac Reliefs and
pavilion Sculptures Frescoes Mosaics Plan
On this page: House of the Dionysiac Reliefs Seaside pavilion