Herculaneum V.1. Casa Sannitica or Samnite House.

Excavated 1931-34.

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 6      Part 7      Part 8      Part 9      Plan

According to Pesando and Guidobaldi, this insula V. was excavated between 1931 and 1938.

At the junction of the Decumanus Maximus and Cardo IV superiore, between Ins. VI and V at the northern end, is the fountain of the bathing Venus, and one of the elevated pilasters connected to the aqueduct of Serino.

On top of this brick pilaster was a tank that served to regulate the pressure and distribution of water (a series of lead pipes are visible in the eastern pavement) while on the east side of the pilaster was painted the edict of an aedile, renewing a previous disposition that prohibited discharging excrement at this place, and threatening a penalty of one denarius for offenders if they were freed men, or a whipping if they were slaves.

Another elevated pilaster leans against the Samnite House on Decumanus Inferiore.

See Pesando, F. and Guidobaldi, M.P. (2006). Pompei, Oplontis, Ercolano, Stabiae. Editori Laterza, (p.344)

Maiuri wrote, this house preserves more than any other, the architecture and structure of the Samnite type of dwelling at Herculaneum.

The house, deprived of the garden that once must have belonged to it, has few rooms on the ground floor but all are decorated with a certain finesse.

At the rear of the tablinum would have been the peristyle garden, but this area was taken from the house for the building of the House of the Grand Portal (V.35), and the House with garden (V.33).

See Maiuri, Amedeo, (1977). Herculaneum. 7th English ed, of Guide books to the Museums Galleries and Monuments of Italy, No.53 (p.41).

Wallace-Hadrill described this house as No. 2 being stairs from street, linked to No.1, a handsome atrium with upper colonnade, 5 reception and 4 service rooms, stairs up. Style I decoration in fauces, elegant Style IV in atrium and all reception rooms, including one mythological. House previously led to a peristyle, now imbedded in No.35. The handsome redecoration belongs to the present phase without the peristyle.

See Wallace-Hadrill, A., 1994. Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum. New Jersey: Princeton U.P. (p. 201)

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking north-east towards entrance doorway on Cardo IV, with Decumanus Inferiore, on right.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

Decumanus Inferiore, Herculaneum. Looking east from junction with Cardo IV, September 2015.

Ins. V 1 is on the left, Ins. IV 10 is on the right.

At the end of the roadway, the two columns at the entrance to the Palaestra can be seen on Cardo V at Ins. Orientalis II, 4.

Looking east along Decumanus Inferior, Herculaneum, from crossroads with Cardo IV Inferiore and Superiore. May 2010.

Looking towards Ins. V on left, and Ins. IV on right.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking north-east towards water tower on north side of Decumanus Inferiore, on right.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking east along exterior south façade.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Detail from exterior south façade.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking west along exterior south façade.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014.

Looking north-east towards water tower on north side of Decumanus Inferiore. 

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014.

Detail of lower south wall on north side of Decumanus Inferiore, at west end near junction with Cardo IV.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Detail of lower south wall (continuation from above photo) on north side of Decumanus Inferiore.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Detail of lower south wall (continuation from above photo) on north side of Decumanus Inferiore.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Detail of lower south wall (continuation from above photo) on north side of Decumanus Inferiore.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

Decumanus Inferiore, Herculaneum. September 2015.

Looking east along façade of V.1 towards pavement outside of V.35. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

V.1 Herculaneum, March 2014. Detail of remains of one of two columns in lower south exterior wall on Decumanus Inferiore.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

Decumanus Inferiore, Herculaneum. September 2015.

Looking west along façade of V.1, towards remains of water tower, on corner with Cardo IV.

Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

V.1 Herculaneum, March 2014. Detail of remains of another column (one of two) in lower south exterior wall on Decumanus Inferiore.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum, May 2001.

Looking east towards water tower on the corner of Decumanus Inferiore. Photo courtesy of Current Archaeology.

Cardo IV Inferiore, looking south from junction with Decumanus Inferiore, Herculaneum. September 2015.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking north-east towards entrance doorway on Cardo IV.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Steps at junction of east side of Cardo IV, on left, with Decumanus Inferiore, on right.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.2, on left, and V.1, on right, Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking along front façade with entrance doorways on east side of Cardo IV.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.2, on left, and V.1, on right, Herculaneum. March 2014. Upper front façade between entrances.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Detail of front façade on north side of entrance doorway, on right.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.2, on left, and V.1, on right. March 2014. Detail from front façade.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1, Herculaneum. March 2014.

Remains of benches on east side of Cardo IV, outside entrances, with V.2, on left.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1, Herculaneum. March 2014. Detail from front façade on north side of entrance doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1. Herculaneum. May 2010. The Samnite House, detail form south side of entrance doorway.

V.1. Herculaneum. March 2014. Painted plaster from exterior south-west corner of The Samnite House.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1. Herculaneum. May 2010. Painted plaster from exterior corner of The Samnite House.

V.1. Herculaneum. May 2010. The Samnite House, detail of plaster on exterior front facade.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. Remains of bench on south side of entrance doorway on Cardo IV.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1 Herculaneum. March 2014. South corner of exterior front façade, with water tower, on right.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

V.1, water tower for regulating the pressure and distribution of water, on the corner of Decumanus Inferiore, Herculaneum.

Looking east from junction with Cardo IV, September 2015.

V.1. Herculaneum. May 2010. The Samnite House, pavement and roadway outside.

V.1. Herculaneum, May 2010. Pavement outside The Samnite House, on east side of Cardo IV Superiore.

V.1. Herculaneum. May 2010. Pavement edging outside The Samnite House,

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 6      Part 7      Part 8      Part 9      Plan