Pompeii, ongoing construction site at Villa of Poppea, Torre Annunziata, opens for visits

Theatrical masks, surprisingly vividly colored peacock figures preserved under thick layers of ash and lapilli, tree footprints and exquisite new rooms are emerging from the expansion excavations of the Villa of Poppea, the sumptuous residence traditionally attributed to Nero’s second wife at the site of Oplontis in Torre Annunziata.

Beginning Feb. 12, every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to noon, visitors in possession of a regular entrance ticket to the Villa, in groups of up to ten people per shift, will have the opportunity to access some areas of the ongoing construction site, accompanied by Park staff. This is an extraordinary opportunity to witness directly the excavation and restoration operations of the frescoes of the Hall of the Mask and the Peacock, one of the most elegant spaces of the residence, characterized by decoration in II style.

The ongoing construction site, initiated to deepen the knowledge of the development of the west sector of the villa, which borders the urban section of Via dei Sepolcri, and to address some critical conservation issues, represents at the same time an important opportunity to enhance the archaeological area and the surrounding urban context. In fact, the excavation will make it possible to create a connection with the neighboring Spolettificio Borbonico, destined in the coming years to house museum spaces, storage facilities and new services for the public.

Among the most interesting finds are an intact figure of a peacockess, mirroring the male peacock already identified on the southern portion of the same wall, and some fragments depicting a scenic mask referable to a character from the Atellan Comedy, in contrast to other masks in the same room, referable instead to Tragedy.

Thanks to the use of the cast technique, the excavation also returned the footprints of the trees that adorned the garden, in their original position and inserted within a precise ornamental scheme. This arrangement doubled the colonnade of the southern portico and recalls patterns documented in the domus of Pompeii and in the Oplontis complex itself. Archaeological investigations eventually led to the identification of four new rooms, adding to the ninety-nine already known, including an apsidal room probably pertaining to the thermal sector of the villa.

Parallel to the excavation activities, a restoration of the decorative apparatuses of two small but valuable rooms originally intended for resting, the so-called cubicola, overlooking the southwestern area of the Villa, near the other construction site, is also underway. Striking is the richness of their decorations, consisting of stucco, frescoed walls, painted vaults and floor mosaics, which testify, as in the rest of the Villa, to the very high technical level achieved by the artisans of the time and the use of a refined color palette, including precious Egyptian blue.

Pompeii, ongoing construction site at Villa of Poppea, Torre Annunziata, opens for visits

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.