HOUSE OF VENUS - POMPEII

The focal point of this house is the peristyle, which is sumptuously decorated with painted garden features (fountains, hedges, birds, flowers, sculptures). The most impressive painting of all is on the rear wall: it portrays a naked Venus with a head of curly hair and resplendent with gold jewels, sailing in a shell with billowing sails accompanied by a retinue of cupids. From an artistic point of view the painting is of poor quality, but its colours are well arranged and the overall effect is highly dramatic.

 

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This is one of the so-called ‘town villas’ which was built on more than one level (possibly four) against the town walls in the last period of the town’s life. The villa had a fine view over the Gulf of Naples and its interior was entirely decorated in the Pompeian fourth style. The villa itself is the result of the fusion of a number of previously built houses and so, in a tiny room in the central apsidal structure, we can find the remains of second style frescoes, including what appears to be a portrait of the Venus of Pompeii. The side walls in the same area are also decorated with stars and small moon designs, suggesting that the room may have been used for astr ... continue

(Apic. 2, 2, 10) Ingredients:

• 200 gr. spelt
• 50 gr. pine-kernel
• 50 gr. peeled almond
• 50 gr. raisins
• 1/2 glass Passum (or passito wine)
• Ground pepper

Instructions:
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Soften spelt in water for a long while (12 hours). Then wash and coarsely shatter. Add pine-kernel and peeled almond and cook until spelt is soft. Add raisins and Passum and amalgamate all. Pour into individuals pans and spread with pepper. Serve cold.

Love was a common topic of conversation in Pompeii. Feelings, passions, poetic love, sex, homosexuality, prostitution and so forth were all part of daily life and not a source of prejudice. The concept of “obscenity” seems to have been unknown. Love and sex were considered earthly practices of a man’s life that were encouraged by the benevolence of Venus. The thousands of examples of graffiti found on the town’s walls are unequivocal proof of what the people of Pompeii thought about love and sex.