VI.4.4 Pompeii. Hospitium entrance.

Linked to Caupona at VI.4.3. Excavated 1807. Bombed in 1943.

 

VI.4.4 Pompeii. December 2004. South wall from entrance.

According to Boyce, on this south wall, there was an outline of a large niche which seemed to have been originally a shrine.

This would have been opposite the lararium on the north wall.

This was probably filled in when the new shrine was painted.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14.  (p.46, no.151)

A down-pipe can be seen in the wall.

 

VI.4.4 Pompeii. December 2004. Looking west.

In the centre of the photo, next to the doorway in the west wall, can be seen the site of the latrine.

According to Garcia y Garcia, apart from the wear-and-tear of time, the disintegration of the sales counter was due to the bomb that fell to the south of the insula in 1943. In the hurried succeeding restoration, many elements and several structures have remained destroyed or have been forgotten.

In this hospitium, walls of the two latrines have been forgotten.

See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.75)

According to Hobson, at the rear of the property is a small room the northern wall of which is no longer standing, despite being shown on the plan.

This room has a sloping tile feature. There is a window where the latrine appears to be.

See Hobson, B. 2009. Pompeii, Latrines and Down Pipes. Oxford, Hadrian Books, (p.202)

According to Boyce, another latrine may have been in the recess in the north-east corner of this room, near to the lararium on the north wall.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14.  (p.46, no.151)

 

VI.4.4 Pompeii. December 2004. North wall, with remains of painted lararium shrine.

According to Boyce, above a strip of ordinary red stucco on the wall was a rectangular panel of white stucco, marked off with red stripes.

Above that was a smaller rectangle which was enclosed within the aedicula façade.

The painting within the aedicula showed the figure of the Genius standing on the right of a yellow altar.

Behind the altar stood the tibicen and towards the same altar, coiled the two serpents, one from each side.

On each side of this group stood a Lar, clad in yellow tunic, green girdle and red pallium.

These figures are standing higher than the other figures.

The lower rectangle probably also contained painted figures, but none were visible, and had not been described in previous reports.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14.  (p.46, no.151)

See also south wall, above.

 

VI.4.4 Pompeii. December 2004. North wall, with remains of painted lararium shrine.

 

VI.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. North wall, with remains of painted shrine.