Herculaneum IV.2. Casa dell’Atrio a mosaico or House of Mosaic atrium, linked to IV.1.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Plan
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016. Cubiculum 11, looking towards east wall. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016.
Cubiculum 11, detail of painted decoration from east wall. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016. Room 11, looking towards south wall. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, October 2022. Looking south-east across garden area, from west portico. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2019.
Looking south-east across garden area, from west portico. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, photo taken between October 2014 and November 2019.
Looking south-east
across garden area, from west portico. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016. Looking south-east across garden area, from west portico. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.1/2 Herculaneum, October 2014. Looking south-east across peristyle. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.1/2 Herculaneum, October 2014. Looking south across west portico of peristyle. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, October 2012. Looking south along west portico. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.1/2 Herculaneum, October 2014. South side of peristyle. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Between the two doors, on the right, the imprint on the wall marks the site of a wooden stairs with stone base.
The carbonised wooden stairway has now completely disintegrated.
IV.1/2 Herculaneum. May 2019. South wall of peristyle in south-west corner. Photo courtesy of Domenico Camardo.
The doorway on the left leading across corridor 20, and across room 17, towards the terrace.
The doorway on the right leading into corridor 20.
IV.1/2 Herculaneum. May 2019.
Site of wooden stairs against south wall of peristyle, with remains of stone base, on left, and imprints of stairs on the wall.
Photo courtesy of Domenico Camardo.
In 2006
excavations were carried out in this area. On the left are the stone steps, made from reused
thresholds, that formed the base of the wooden staircase.
Under them were the remains of
the mosaic pavement that covered a beaten cocciopesto layer and a red tufa step
belonging to a more ancient staircase.
This situation clearly indicates that initially all the cryptoporticus had been paved with cocciopesto.
After the original
excavations, Maiuri had left the mud of the eruption below the carbonised
wooden stairs. Over the years, the wooden stairs have been destroyed.
On the right, under the stairs, was a small room, the site of a latrine which would have been accessible from corridor 20, through the doorway on the right.
This is shown here by the plaster on the wall and the cocciopesto tray partly visible in the floor.
See Domenico
Camardo, Saggi nell’angolo sud-ovest del
criptoportico (C), Rivista di Studi Pompeiani, XVII, 2006, (p. 117-18, fig.
16).
IV.1/2 Herculaneum. 1932. Photo by P. C.
Stone base and remains of carbonised wooden stairs against south wall of peristyle.
Used with the permission of the Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford. File name instarchbx92im003 Resource ID 41152.
See photo on University of Oxford HEIR database
IV.2, Herculaneum, May 2001. Looking south across peristyle
area towards south portico. Photo
courtesy of Current Archaeology.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking east across south portico.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016.
Looking north from doorway in room 13, across flooring at east end of south portico, towards doorway to narrow corridor leading north along east side. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, May 2004.
Looking north from
doorway in room 13, across flooring at east end of south portico, towards
doorway to narrow corridor leading north along east side. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
IV.2/1,
Herculaneum, May 2004. Looking east across east end of south portico. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, October 2022.
Looking towards doorway to large triclinium, on south side of peristyle. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IV.1/2 Herculaneum, September 2019.
Looking towards doorway to large triclinium, in centre, on south side of peristyle. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IV.1/2 Herculaneum, October 2014.
Looking towards doorway to large triclinium, on left, on south side of peristyle. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
According to Maiuri, the real living quarters were reached from the south portico, in the centre was the grandiose triclinium.
To the south, all these rooms looked out onto a covered colonnade, and upon a narrower open terrace.
On either side of the terrace was a small elegant room for the siesta and to enjoy the view.
See Maiuri, Amedeo, (1977). Herculaneum. 7th English ed, of Guide books to the Museums Galleries and Monuments of Italy, No.53 (p.29).
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, June 2005. Looking
north over garden from south portico. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, Herculaneum. Undated postcard entitled “Giardino del casa dell'Atrio mosaico”.
Looking north across garden area. Photo courtesy of Peter Woods.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016.
Looking north across south portico towards garden from large triclinium. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016. Looking north across large triclinium 12. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, May 2018. North-east corner of large triclinium 12. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
According to Cerulli Irelli, “the best conserved area of wall decoration was found in the corner between the north and east walls.
The zoccolo (lower area) was painted red and divided by a series of painted pilasters, the middle zone of the wall was painted black.”
See Cerulli Irelli, G. Le pitture della Casa dell’ Atrio a Mosaico. Monumenti della pitture antica scoperti in Italia, (p.38).
In the upper corner of the middle zone of the
north wall, the outline of one of the two painted golden griffins can just
about be seen.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum. Detail of north-east corner of large triclinium 12, as seen in 1971.
On the red zoccolo of the north wall, in the corner a painted Iris can be seen.
In the upper corner of the black middle zone of
the north wall, one of the two painted golden griffins can be seen.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016. Looking south across large triclinium, overlooking terrace. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, June 2005.
Looking towards doorway at south end of west wall of large triclinium, into two further rooms overlooking the terrace.
Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, June 2005.
Looking west
towards north side of doorway in room on west side of large triclinium. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016. Looking east across covered portico onto a terrace, which would have overlooked the beachfront.
The large doorway in the centre, left, leads into the large triclinium. Ahead is a doorway and window belonging to diaeta 23.
Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, June 2005. Looking east across covered portico with the doorway to large triclinium, on left.
Ahead is a doorway to Oecus 14, left of centre, and doorway and window belonging to diaeta 23, right of centre.
Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016.
Diaeta 23, looking through doorway with north wall, on left, towards east wall. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016. Oecus 14, looking towards central painting on north wall. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016. Oecus 14, central painting on north wall. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016.
Oecus 14, doorway in south wall to terrace and doorway to large triclinium, in south-east corner. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, September 2016.
Looking east across diaeta with window and doorway onto west side of terrace. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, October 2012. South end of garden and Casa, and doorway at IV.1. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, October 2012. Looking east across peristyle area. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, June 2005.
Looking east towards western façade near south end, and into
peristyle area. Photo courtesy of
Nicolas Monteix.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum, October 2012. Looking north-east across peristyle, from Cardo IV Inferiore. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
IV.2/1, Herculaneum. Undated postcard entitled “Giardino del casa dell’Atrio mosaico”.
Looking north-east across garden area, from south portico.
Photo courtesy of Peter Woods.
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