Herculaneum II.3. Casa del Genio.

Excavated between 1828-1855.

According to Maiuri, this house was named from the statue of a small cupid or winged Genius found in it, which was once part of a marble candelabrum.

Similar to the House of Argus, this large noble house is still buried under the modern Via Mare, and must have reached back to a western roadway, where the main entrance would have been found.

The 1828 excavation excavated only this secondary rear entrance, also preceded by a porch, together with part of a large and elegant peristyle with a few rooms on either side of the entrance. In the centre of the garden there is a rectangular fountain basin, curved on either side.

See Maiuri, Amedeo, (1977). Herculaneum. 7th English ed, of Guidebooks to the Museums Galleries and Monuments of Italy, No.53 (p.24).

Pagano wrote – “The house that one observes following on from the previous, is not all uncovered, that is to say, that its main entrance remains buried.

Here it has only a portion of the large garden with a portico around.

In the middle was a fishpond, at the side of which was a small well/reservoir, at the bottom of which was a bronze key to provide the water in the basin/tub.

To the left of the doorway, there was a room with a marble table, on which was found a small bronze candelabra with two lights, held up by a flying Genius, with respective reflection of white marble embedded in the wall in the form of a rose-ornament, which is still seen in its place.

Under the same table one can see a large terracotta plate near the wall, and here it remains adhered by reason of the volcanic eruption.

On the pavement outside of the doorway are two columns that supported a roof.”

See Pagano, N, Descrizione degli scavi di Ercolano, 1870. (p.22)

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking north-west from near doorway along the west side of Cardo III.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking north-west from entrance doorway.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking west from doorway, which originally would have been the “Posticum” (rear) doorway.

The main part of the house is still buried under the adjacent Via Mare.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking west from doorway, which originally would have been the “Posticum” (rear) doorway.

Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

II.1 Herculaneum,1842, drawing by Zahn.

Plan showing the houses discovered between 1828 until 1838, (described as) at the side of the sea, not far from the theatre.

This consists of II.1 lower floor, separately on left, II.1 on left, II.2 in centre, and II.3 on right.

On the lower part of the roadway (Cardo III) is III.1, III.2, and III.3, on right.

See Zahn, W., 1842. Die schönsten Ornamente und merkwürdigsten Gemälde aus Pompeji, Herkulanum und Stabiae: II. Berlin: Reimer. (63)

II.3 Herculaneum, October 2014. Looking west towards entrance doorway.

Embedded in the pavement are the remains of the two columns which would have supported a roof over the doorway.

Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

II.3 Herculaneum, October 2023. Looking towards two doorways on north side of vestibule. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking towards two doorways on north side of vestibule.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Doorway to room on east side of north end.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Room on west side of north end of vestibule.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2019.

Looking south-west across site of two rooms on south side of vestibule. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking south across site of two rooms on south side of vestibule.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking west along south portico.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking east into room from south portico.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking across peristyle from south-east corner of portico.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking north from south-east corner of portico.

II.3 Herculaneum, October 2014. Looking north from south-east corner of portico. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

II.3 Herculaneum, 1957. Looking south-west across peristyle from the east portico. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

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II.3 Herculaneum, October 2022.

Looking west towards Bourbon tunnel at rear of peristyle, under modern roadway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking west towards Bourbon tunnel in peristyle.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking into Bourbon tunnel.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Eastern end of semi-circular pool now reburied again.

According to Wilhelmina –

“In the centre of the garden was a rectangular pool with a semi-circular end at its eastern end, the west part of the pool was still unexcavated.”

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.259)

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Steps on east side of peristyle, leading to portico, vestibule and rear doorway, left of photo.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking north-west across peristyle, from south portico.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking west along north portico.

II.3 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking east along north portico, towards doorway to room in north-east corner.