Herculaneum South-east corner. Sacred Area and shrines.

Ercolano. Angolo sud-est. Area sacra.

Herculaneum Entrance and views across terrace       Terrace of Marcus Nonius Balbus      Suburban Baths, atrium and surrounding rooms      Suburban Baths, Waiting room, Frigidarium and Tepidarium      Suburban Baths Caldarium      Sacred Area Terrace      Shrine of Venus      Temple of four Gods      Terrace north-west corner      Ancient shoreline, arched vaults or boatsheds      Building with boat exhibition

Sacred Area Terrace

Herculaneum, April 2011.

Looking north from access roadway towards the Sacred Area, to the left of the Terrace of Marcus Nonius Balbus.

Above this area are the terraces of the Houses of the Mosaic Atrium, (left) and of the Stags, (in centre). Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Herculaneum, 1957. During excavation.

Looking north-west across site from access roadway towards the Sacred Area on the south side of the terraces of the Houses of the Mosaic Atrium, and of the Stags, on right.  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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Herculaneum, May 2009. Looking north-west across the Sacred Area, centre right. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum May 2009.

Looking north towards rear of House of the Mosaic Atrium, Ins, IV.30 above the Sacred Area, centre, with west end of arched buildings described as boat-sheds, below. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, June 2012. Looking north-west towards Sacred Area, below the town walls. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

Herculaneum, May 2006. Looking north-west across the Sacred Area, centre right.

Herculaneum, May 2006.

Looking north-west towards rear of House of the Mosaic Atrium, Ins, IV.30 above the Sacred Area, in centre.

Below the Sacred Area, the west end of arched buildings described as boat-sheds, can be seen.  

Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking west towards the Sacred Area.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking west towards the Sacred Area.

The Sacred Area was a large terrace with buildings for worship, which were the shrine of Venus, and the shrine of the four gods.

Under this terrace, were six of the twelve arches of the beachfront boatsheds, in which many of the skeletons of the fugitives have been found.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace.

Doorway to room on the east end of the terrace (1 of 6), probably used as a series of service rooms, or storerooms.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 1 of 6, west end.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 1 of 6, east end.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 2 of 6.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 3 of 6.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, looking west to doorways to rooms 4, 5 and 6.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Doorway to room 5 of 6.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 5 of 6.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Doorway to room 6 of 6.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 6 of 6, east side.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 6 of 6, west side.

Sacello di Venere. Shrine of Venus.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, looking west towards the shrine of Venus.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, steps up to the shrine of Venus.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, doorway to the shrine of Venus.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, threshold of doorway to the shrine of Venus.

The floor of the shrine was a white mosaic bordered by a black band.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, looking north in the shrine of Venus.

Herculaneum, April 2018. Sacred Area terrace, looking north in the shrine of Venus. Photo courtesy of Ian Lycett-King.

Use is subject to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License v.4 International.

Herculaneum, August 2013. Sacred Area terrace, looking north in the shrine of Venus. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, 1964. Sacred Area terrace, looking towards the north wall in the shrine of Venus. 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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Herculaneum, September 2015.

Sacred Area terrace, masonry podium/altar on the west side of the doorway of the shrine of Venus.

Sacello dei Quattro dei. Shrine of the four gods.

Restored after the earthquake in 62 A.D., the temple is dedicated to four divinities, as evidenced by the lovely archaistic reliefs, perhaps from the Augustan period (27 B.C-.14 A.D.), recently found and originally fastened to the front side of the podium standing at the back of the cell.

These depict Minerva, Neptune, Mercury and Vulcan, all divinities related to the world of manufacture, trade and crafts.

The floor of the pronaos (vestibule) and the Corinthian columns are made of cipollino marble; the cell floor is in opus sectile.

Part of the wooden structure of the roof was recently recovered, dragged onto the beach below by the force of the eruption.

Herculaneum, October 2014. Sacello dei Quattro dei. Shrine of the four gods. Sacred Area terrace.

Looking north from access roadway. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

Herculaneum, July 2007.

Sacello dei Quattro dei. Shrine of the four gods on the Sacred Area terrace.

Looking north from access roadway. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Stephens. ©jfs2007_HERC-8630.

Herculaneum, August 2013. Sacello dei Quattro dei. Shrine of the four gods.

Sacred Area terrace, looking north-east from south end. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, August 2013.

Sacred Area terrace, looking towards steps leading to the shrine of the Four Gods. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, August 2013.

Sacred Area terrace, looking towards corridor on east side of the shrine of the Four Gods. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, looking towards the shrine of the Four Gods.

Herculaneum, April 2014. Sacred Area terrace, looking towards the shrine of the Four Gods. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Herculaneum, August 2013.

Sacred Area terrace, looking west towards steps leading to the shrine of the Four Gods. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, rectangular marble slabs at wide entrance to the shrine of the Four Gods.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, looking north in the shrine of the Four Gods.

The copies of the reliefs are thought to be hanging in their original position, fastened to the front wall of the podium.

The originals, now in Naples Museum, were recently found on the ancient beachfront, no doubt thrown there by the force of the eruption, and show Minerva, Neptune, Mercury and Vulcan. Marble columns from the shrine were also found there.

Herculaneum, August 2013. Sacred Area terrace, looking north in the shrine of the Four Gods. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, steps on east end of the shrine of the Four Gods.

Originally it is thought the shrine would have had steps at either end of the podium, but at the west end the podium had been damaged by a Bourbon tunnel.

Herculaneum, August 2013.

Sacred Area terrace, detail of steps on east end of the shrine of the Four Gods. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, March 2009. Sacred Area terrace, the shrine of Four Gods.

Original reliefs of the four gods on display in Naples Museum. From the left are Vulcan, Minerva, Neptune and Mercury.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number s.n.

Herculaneum, September 2009. Sacred Area terrace, the shrine of Four Gods.

Copy of reliefs of the four gods. From the left are Vulcan, Minerva, Mercury and Neptune.

Photographed at “A Day in Pompeii” exhibition at Melbourne Museum.

Herculaneum, April 2014. Sacred Area terrace, looking north in the shrine of the Four Gods.

The copies of the reliefs are thought to be hanging in their original position, fastened to the front wall of the podium.

Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Herculaneum, March 2014. Sacred Area terrace, looking north in the shrine of the Four Gods.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

Herculaneum, April 2018. Reproduction relief of Minerva from the shrine of Four Gods on the Sacred Area terrace.

Photo courtesy of Ian Lycett-King. Use is subject to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License v.4 International.

Herculaneum, April 2014.

Reproduction relief of Minerva from the shrine of Four Gods on the Sacred Area terrace.

Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Herculaneum, August 2013. Sacred Area terrace, the shrine of Four Gods. Reproduction relief of Minerva. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, April 2018. Reproduction relief of Mercury, from the shrine of Four Gods on the Sacred Area terrace.

Photo courtesy of Ian Lycett-King. Use is subject to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License v.4 International.

Herculaneum, April 2014.

Sacred Area terrace, the shrine of Four Gods. Reproduction relief of Mercury. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Herculaneum, August 2013.

Sacred Area terrace, the shrine of Four Gods. Reproduction relief of Mercury. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, April 2018. Reproduction relief of Neptune, from the shrine of Four Gods on the Sacred Area terrace.

Photo courtesy of Ian Lycett-King. Use is subject to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License v.4 International.

Herculaneum, April 2014.

Sacred Area terrace, the shrine of Four Gods. Reproduction relief of Neptune. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Herculaneum, August 2013. Sacred Area terrace, the shrine of Four Gods. Reproduction relief of Neptune. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, April 2018. Reproduction relief of Vulcan, from the shrine of Four Gods on the Sacred Area terrace.

Photo courtesy of Ian Lycett-King. Use is subject to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License v.4 International.

Herculaneum, April 2014.

Sacred Area terrace, the shrine of Four Gods. Reproduction relief of Vulcan. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Herculaneum, August 2013. Sacred Area terrace, the shrine of Four Gods. Reproduction relief of Vulcan. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum, September 2015.

Sacred Area terrace, looking towards north wall of the shrine of Four Gods.  On the left the outline of the Bourbon tunnel can be seen.

Herculaneum, July 2007. Sacred Area terrace, looking north. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Stephens. ©jfs2007_HERC-8629.

Herculaneum, August 2013. West end of shrine. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum Entrance and views across terrace      Terrace of Marcus Nonius Balbus      Suburban Baths, atrium and surrounding rooms      Suburban Baths, Waiting room, Frigidarium and Tepidarium      Suburban Baths Caldarium      Sacred Area Terrace      Shrine of Venus      Temple of four Gods      Terrace north-west corner      Ancient shoreline, arched vaults or boatsheds      Building with boat exhibition