Herculaneum VI.13. Casa del Salone nero or House of the black salon or room, linked to rear entrance at VI.11.
Excavated between 1939 and 1965.
VI.13 Herculaneum, May 2009. Looking south-east across atrium towards two doorways to rooms on east side of atrium.
These would be cubiculum 5, on left, and east ala 6,
By the east wall of the tablinum would have been a doorway into oecus 8, now with reduced walls where the figure is standing.
Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.13 Herculaneum, April 2013.
Looking north from peristyle through tablinum to atrium, oecus 8 can be seen, on the right. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. January 2002. Looking north into oecus 8 on east side of tablinum, with doorway in north wall to atrium.
The east wall, overlooking Cardo IV, was almost entirely destroyed. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13/11 Herculaneum, May 2005. Looking south-west towards area of oecus 8 with reduced walls, on east side of tablinum, on right.
On the left, across the peristyle, is the vestibule from VI.11.
The doorway into the kitchen and other service rooms can be seen, for photos of these rooms, see VI.11. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13 Herculaneum, May 2006. Looking south from atrium into tablinum and through to the garden area.
The tablinum flooring was also of cocciopesto with inserts of precious marble.
VI.13 Herculaneum, March 2014. Looking south along
east wall of tablinum.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.13 Herculaneum, May 2006. Looking south along east wall of tablinum.
VI.13 Herculaneum, June 2017. Looking north along east wall of tablinum towards atrium. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.13 Herculaneum. August 2013. North end of east wall of tablinum. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
The zoccolo (dado) was painted with black panels adorned with carpet borders and would have been separated by red-bordered compartments containing painted shrubs.
The middle zone of the walls had a central aedicula flanked by various other structures that are partially hidden by large black drapes with red borders.
Projecting from each end of the wall was a two-storied pavilion with a coffered ceiling.
The upper area of the walls had a white background.
See Guidobaldi, M.P. and Esposito, D. (2013). Herculaneum: Art of the Buried City. U.S.A, Abbeville Press, (p.237-245)
VI.13 Herculaneum. September 2017.
Detail from north end of east wall of tablinum, showing two-storied pavilion with coffered ceiling.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.13 Herculaneum. August 2013.
Detail from north end of east wall of tablinum, showing two-storied pavilion with coffered ceiling.
Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.13 Herculaneum. September 2017.
Detail of painted
wall from north end of east wall of tablinum. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.13 Herculaneum. August 2013. Detail of painted wall from north end of east wall of tablinum. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.13 Herculaneum, June 2017. Looking north along west wall of tablinum, towards atrium. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.13 Herculaneum, March 2014. Detail from south end
of west wall of tablinum.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.13 Herculaneum, March 2014. Looking south along
west wall of tablinum towards north portico.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.13 Herculaneum, May 2006. West wall of tablinum.
VI.13 Herculaneum. August 2013. Looking south-west across north portico, from tablinum. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.13 Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking south-west from
north portico.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.13 Herculaneum. May 2011. Looking south-west across north portico. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13 Herculaneum. August 2013. Looking south from north portico. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. Not dated.
Looking north through doorway to room, another oecus, on west side of corridor, next to tablinum.
Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. May 2004. East wall of oecus on west side of corridor, next to tablinum. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. January 2002.
East wall of oecus on west side of corridor, next to tablinum. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. Not dated. Detail of east wall of oecus. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13 Herculaneum. August 2013. Flooring in north portico of peristyle. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
According to Guidobaldi and Esposito, the neutral colour scheme of the rooms on the south side of the peristyle harmonised with the mosaic floors, which were plain white with a double band of black, except in the peristyle, where the scheme was reversed, and a regular stippling of white tesserae was introduced.
See Guidobaldi, M.P. and Esposito, D. (2013). Herculaneum: Art of the Buried City. U.S.A, Abbeville Press, (p.237-245)
VI.13 Herculaneum, June 2014. Looking east along north portico, with tablinum, on left. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.13 Herculaneum. Photo taken between October 2014 and November 2019.
Looking south along east portico. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.13 Herculaneum. August 2013. Looking north-west across peristyle towards west portico.
In the centre of the garden was a circular table of marble. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.13 Herculaneum. 2011. Looking north-west across peristyle. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.13 Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking south-west towards
peristyle, from Cardo IV.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. September 2003.
Looking towards west side of peristyle, and upper rooms. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. June 2017. Found 1939.
On display in Naples Archaeological Museum. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Wallace-Hadrill wrote that found on the upper floor of this house was a basket full of at least 39 of the documents of Lucius Venidius Ennychus.
This bundle was of crucial importance to Ennychus because it guaranteed his status.
The earliest seems to date from AD 40-1 regarding a loan of money to L. Mammius Rufus.
Another recorded that on 24th July AD 60, he declared the birth of his daughter Venidia to his wife Livia Acte.
See Wallace-Hadrill, A. (2011). Herculaneum, Past and Future. London, Frances Lincoln Ltd., (p.142-3).
According to Guidobaldi -
“Recovered in one of the rooms of the upper floor were fragments of wax tablets, originally placed on a shelf of painted wood, of complex recomposition and letters, but clearly relating to the freedman, L. Venidius Ennychus, who was active on the Herculaneum scene since 40 AD. He was probably recognised as the last proprietor of this house.”
See Guidobaldi, M.P, 2009: Ercolano, guida agli scavi. Naples, Electa Napoli, (p.103-107).
(p.213-215 G1-4; p.256, H56; and p.262-263 H68-69), quoting from 39 wax tablets found on a wooden shelf.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. June 2017.
Information card from Naples Archaeological Museum. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. 7th August 1976. Looking towards west side of peristyle, and upper rooms.
Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer, from Dr George Fay’s slides collection.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. September 2003.
Upper floor, detail from west side of peristyle. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. September 2003.
Upper floor, looking south-east across rooms on south side of upper floor, towards Cardo IV roadway, in centre.
Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. September 2003. Upper floor, north side of peristyle. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13/11, Herculaneum. September 2003.
Detail from upper floor, north side of peristyle. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.13 Herculaneum. August 2013. Room 13, south-west corner of west portico, outside black salon. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.13 Herculaneum, May 2006. Peristyle 13, looking west across north side of peristyle.
On the left is the large doorway to the large oecus, the Salone Nero, from which the house is named.
VI.13 Herculaneum. 4th December
1971. Peristyle 13.
Looking
towards south-west corner of peristyle, with doorway to the large oecus,
the Salon Nero, centre right.
Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer, from Dr George Fay’s slides collection.
VI.13 Herculaneum, April 2014.
“Salone nero”, south wall with window, with entrance doorway (on left), looking towards south-west corner.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.13 Herculaneum, March 2014. “Salone nero”, south
wall with window.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.13 Herculaneum. August 2013.
South wall with window of “Salone nero” from entrance doorway, looking towards south-west corner. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Maiuri wrote that on the western side is a large black hall, with the walls divided into three rectangular paintings like mirrors, flanked by pillars and chandeliers in lively colours.
The ceiling too, with a wide skylight (? vaulted area) in the centre, recomposed from various fragments, is on a black ground.
Against the wall is placed a wooden shrine in the usual form of a wooden temple, with wooden columns and little marble capitals, which preserved the little statues of a Lararium.
See Maiuri, Amedeo, (1977). Herculaneum. 7th English ed, of Guide books to the Museums Galleries and Monuments of Italy, No.53 (p.40).
VI.13 Herculaneum. March 2008.
South wall with window of “Salone nero” from entrance doorway, looking towards south-west corner. Photo courtesy of Sera Baker.
VI.13 Herculaneum, September 2016. Wooden shrine found placed against a wall in the “Salone nero”. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Guidobaldi wrote, that found in this room was a wooden lararium with capitals of painted marble and red lead, and a small marble table with the head of a satyr on the foot.
See Guidobaldi, M.P, 2009: Ercolano, guida agli scavi. Naples, Electa Napoli, (p.106).
According to Deiss, found in the black saloon – “was another miraculous wooden survival: a shrine in the form of a miniature temple.
The fluted columns were of wood, the capitals of marble.
Preserved within are the statuettes typical of a lararium maintained by people who remained devout in the old Roman faith”.
See Deiss, J.J. (1968). Herculaneum: a city returns to the sun. U.K, London, The History Book Club, (p.64).
VI.13 Herculaneum, April 2014. South wall of “Salone nero”. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.13 Herculaneum, May 2006. South wall of “Salone nero”
VI.13, Herculaneum, April 2018. Detail of painted decoration from south wall.
Photo courtesy of Ian Lycett-King. Use is subject to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License v.4 International.
Looking towards south wall, on left, south-west corner and west wall, from entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.13 Herculaneum, March 2014. “Salone nero”, looking
south-west across ceiling.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.13 Herculaneum, March 2014. West wall of “Salone
nero”.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.13 Herculaneum. April 2014. West wall of “Salone nero”. Photo courtesy Klaus Heese.
VI.13 Herculaneum. August 2013. West wall of “Salone nero”. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.13, Herculaneum, April 2018. Detail of painted decoration on upper west wall. Photo courtesy of Ian Lycett-King.
Use is subject to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License v.4 International.
VI.13 Herculaneum, March 2014. “Salone nero”,
looking north-west across ceiling.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.13 Herculaneum. August 2013. Looking towards north-west corner, and along ceiling. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.13 Herculaneum. Photo taken between October 2014 and November 2019.
“Salone nero”, north
wall. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.13 Herculaneum, March 2014. “Salone nero”, north
wall.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.13 Herculaneum, May 2006. North wall of “Salone nero”.
VI.13 Herculaneum, May 2006. Ceiling and window in south wall.
VI.13 Herculaneum, May 2006. Northern end of ceiling.
VI.13 Herculaneum, May 2006. Ceiling.