Like Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Villa Oplontis was both destroyed and preserved by the eruption of the Vesuvius in AD79. Buried until its gradual discovery over the last four centuries, this huge and lavish palace has been associated on slender evidence with Poppaea Sabina, the unfortunate wife said to have been kicked to death by the Emperor Nero. Her family are believed to have come from this area, and the grandeur of the villa suggests it belonged to someone either very rich or very well-connected. A wine amphora found here bore the inscription of the name “Poppaea”. Consequently the villa is sometimes called Villa Poppaea, and is also known as Villa A by archaeologists studying the ruins around the site of the Roman seaside village of Oplontis (and as Scavi di Oplonti in Italian).

The villa and its garden. By Miguel Hermoso Cuesta – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Lying under the modern Naples suburb Torre Annunziata, the full extent of the villa complex hasn’t been discovered. But what there is to see is very impressive. The site is under-visited compared to its famous neighbors, and it is a fascinating and atmospheric place to get the feel of real Roman luxury.

Peristyle of the villa. Picture by Michel Gybels.

The villa is included in the UNESCO heritage listing “Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata”. The villa makes a good complement to visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum. The impressive state of preservation and the villa’s lavishness help to give context to the urban dwellings in the two larger sites, and its colourful frescoes enable the visitor to visualize the details which have been lost elsewhere.

History

The Roman elite favoured the Bay of Naples for holiday retreats. Just as today’s wealthy Romans and Neapolitans head to the island of Capri, in ancient times this area was a refuge from the heat and bustle of Rome in summer and a place to relax and indulge in civilized leisure; the pursuit of otium. The Villa Oplontis was a palace built overlooking the sea (the coastline is now further away).

Reconstruction of the villa by Jean-Claude Govain. Source: https://jeanclaudegolvin.com/oplontis/

Archaeologists deduce that the rambling building had been through several stages of development, and at the time of the eruption which buried it, the villa was undergoing restoration works, and was perhaps somewhat neglected. There had been a major earthquake in 62AD, and many smaller tremors in the build-up to the big eruption of 79AD, which may explain this.

A map showing the cities, which were affected by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. By MapMaster – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0.

During its lifespan, though, the villa must have been one of the grandest dwellings in the area. Its wall paintings are some of the finest examples of Roman painting in existence. Its large gardens were decorated with statues as well as trees and plants. Approached by land or sea, the villa would have impressed visitors even before they entered the colourful and refined halls, strolled through its various colonnades, or glimpsed the huge garden swimming pool.

Plan of Villa A at Oplontis with the trenches marked in red. The area marked in yellow highlights the portico that was demolished to accommodate the east wing. The Sarno Canal and the pool basin are respectively marked in purple and blue. Plan: Jess Galloway. Source: Ten seasons of Excavation at Oplontis.

The ruins are well-enough preserved that it’s possible to gain some idea of how people might have lived here; relaxing under a portico, taking a dip in the huge pool. Rooms are numbered and descriptions in the guide-booklet help to explain the decoration and what is assumed about their uses.

The Architecture of the Villa

Among the villa’s comforts was a bath-house, several peristyles (colonnaded courtyards and gardens), and a range of richly-painted reception rooms.

Peristyle on the south facade. By Amadalvarez – Own work, CC BY 3.0.

The most extravagant of these feature detailed illusionistic scenes of architectural features: temples, statues, gateways.

Trompe-l’oeil frescoes in the triclinium. Picture by Michel Gybels.

The villa layout also incorporates service areas: small rooms where slaves may have slept, and narrow corridors providing quick and discreet access between the public spaces. These narrower, humbler corridors are decorated with simple ‘zebra-stripe’ paintwork, used here and elsewhere for the quarters of slaves and staff – although here the ‘cheap’ décor does seem used on occasion for loftier public areas.

One of the corridors of the villa. By Ra Boe – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Mostly, it’s clear how much the villa was designed to impress, and how dazzling its grandest spaces must have been. Most visitors would have entered through an atrium (Room 1) with a central pool to catch water falling through an aperture in the ceiling in the center, and walls covered with trompe l’oeil frescoes of columns, doorways and other grand architectural features.

A fresco with two false doors in the atrium of the Villa Poppaea. By Tierceron – CC BY-SA 2.0.

One of the most striking spaces is Room 18, described as a ‘sitting room’, which opened onto the portico in front of the swimming pool and its surrounding garden. At the far side of the room was a large window onto the principal garden of the villa. And on either side, a sequence of windows opened onto rooms richly-painted with garden scenes, and then beyond that into tiny ‘garden’ courtyards, again decorated with garden frescoes. Trees, greenery, flowers, birds and water must have been visible in every direction, both painted and real, with nature being brought into the interiors.

Garden courtyard of the villa. Picture by Michel Gybels.

Although there must have been slaves, attendants and family members around, it’s hard not to imagine the building filled with the same kind of peace that greets the visitor today as they wander around the quiet site, accompanied by the twittering of birds and the wind in the grass and leaves. The work that has been done to recreate the original garden plantings adds greatly to the atmosphere, which is so different to the busier and barer ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Room 15, east wall, painting of the Delphic tripod. Picture by Michel Gybels.

The freedom to wander around a grand Roman villa over mosaic floors, to stand alone in a room gazing at the vivid frescoes, or to duck along a narrow service corridor is really special.

The Archaeological Excavations

The identification of the excavation site of the Villa took place at the end of the 16th century during the construction of the Sarno Canal, excavated by Count Muzio Tuttavilla in the area of what is known today as Fabbrica d’Armi as well as near the port.

In the eighteen century, riding the wave of the enthusiasm for the recent discoveries of Herculaneum, Pompeii and Stabia, the Bourbon government promoted archaeological research initiatives through out the Vesuvian territory and the first excavation was attempted in Mascatelle for the Torre Annunziata area.

Layers of volcanic ash in the area of the villa. By Ra Boe – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0.

In 1785 Francesco La Vega, the military architect in charge of the excavations, reported having inspected the ruins identified here. Other investigations took place in 1839 who made it possible to fully comprehend the great importance of the area.

The excavation of Oplontis was no longer discussed for more than a century, until a committee of local enthusiasts managed to bring attention to the site. Ten years of uninterrupted excavations brought to light a building that had 90 rooms spread over 10,000 square meters.

Fresco in the Baths part of the villa – Calidarium. Picture by Michel Gybels.

In 1974, about 300 meters east of Villa A, workers found the Villa B of Lucius Crassius Tertus. In one of the rooms of this complex, in 1984, a treasure trove of jewels and coins, the so-called Oplontis Golds, was found. The building is currently closed to the public.

Practical Information

The Villa Oplontis is included in several combined tickets, so visitors should think ahead to work out the most cost-effective choice. A basic entrance ticket also includes admission to archaeological sites at Stabia and Boscoreale. The villa is also included on a combined ticket with Herculaneum and Pompeii (the sites are administered together), and as one of the free sites with a Campania Arte Card.

Rooms in the villa are numbered and a good pamphlet, available in English and included with your ticket, provides descriptions and explanations for each featured location.

The archaeological site is a few minutes’ walk from the Torre Annunziata station of the Circumvesuviana train which runs from Naples to Sorrento. From Napoli Garibaldi the journey takes 30 minutes, and from Sorrento 33 minutes.

You can see the site quite thoroughly in an hour, and it can be combined with Herculaneum in a comfortable one-day itinerary.

Source: Guide to the Oplontis excavations

Header picture: Detail of the fresco. By Falk2 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Written by Michel Gybels for Time Travel Rome

“Though my mind shrinks from remembering, I will begin.” 
Pliny the Younger quoting Virgil’s Aeneid

Pliny the Younger and his mother, Plinia Marcella, watched with trepidation as the Roman navy sailed away from Misenum. Plinia was a widower. Her brother had taken her in and adopted his seventeen-year-old nephew as his son and heir. Now, the man of the household was heading into unknown peril. Yet his family back in their villa would also face great danger, as they watched ash cover Misenum and debris rain over the countryside.

Early Evening

Immediately following his uncle’s departure, Pliny tried to go about his regular routine. It may have been the believed indestructibility of a teenager or it may have been to allay his fears. He spent the remainder of the day studying his books. In the evening, he bathed, dined, and went to sleep as usual. Violent shocks and tremors woke him as the eruption worsened, and he decided to wake his mother. He met her in the hall, coming to fetch him for the same reason. They went to sit in the forecourt of the house. Pliny called for a copy of his book on Livy, and settled down to continue his reading. He says himself that he does not know whether it was due to “courage or folly.”

A friend of his uncle’s reproached them both, but they did not stir until the house began to rock so violently that they feared it would collapse. They decided then to leave town for safety, pressed behind by the panicked household who followed their lead. As they came out of the city, they were shocked to see that the sea had been sucked back by the volcanic activity. It had happened so suddenly that a large number of sea creatures lay stranded on the sand. Their friend once again begged them to run, but Pliny and Plinia insisted they would not leave until they knew the fate of Pliny the Elder. He pleaded with them again. “If your brother, if your uncle is still alive he will want you both to be saved; if he is dead, he would want you to survive him – why put off your escape?”

Thoughts of Escape

Seeing that he could not convince them, he finally fled himself. Pliny and his mother remained on the outskirts of Misenum, watching carriages move inexplicably as the ground rocked, and bursts of flame flash through the black cloud over Vesuvius. The cloud eventually fell and spread, covering the sea and crawling towards them. Plinia finally grew truly afraid, though in true Roman style, not for herself. She begged her son to leave her behind and to run. She was older and unfit, and would only slow his progress. She “could die in peace as long as she had not been the cause of [his] death too.” A loyal son, Pliny flatly refused. He took his mother’s hand, urging her along and helping her to speed up her pace.

Ashes began to sprinkle down, and the dense cloud, black as night, was approaching. Fearful that, in the darkness, the panicked crowds would knock them down and trample on them, they sat down alongside the road. Moments later the blackness engulfed them, as suddenly and totally as switching off a light. “You could hear the shrieks of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men: some were calling their parents, others their children or wives, trying to recognize them by their voices. People bewailed their own fate or that of their relatives, and there were some who prayed for death in their terror of dying. Many besought the aid of the gods, but still more imagined there were no gods left, and that the universe was plunged into eternal darkness forevermore.” 

Morning Comes

Pliny and Plinia remained by the road, standing on occasion so that the falling ash wouldn’t bury them. Finally, just as Pliny had decided it was the end of the world, the darkness began to lift. A dim, yellowed sun spread light on a changed landscape. Ash covered every surface, piling like snowdrifts. Pliny and Plinia returned to the villa at Misenum. The following day and night consisted of dreadful fear and moments of hope.  Earthquakes continued and some hysterical individuals predicted still greater doom. Pliny and his mother still stayed, unwilling to leave without news of Pliny the Elder. It was at least two days from the eruption before searchers found his body, and they learned of his tragic death. 

Pliny went on to be among the most famous individuals of Roman history. His published letters have given incredible insight to generations of historians. Some twenty-five years after the eruption, Pliny’s friend Tacitus, the Roman historian, asked him for the details of his ordeal. The two letters that he wrote are an incredible treasure, an eyewitness account of the tragedy. The type of eruption he described is still known as a Plinian Eruption. It is characterized by a huge column of gas and volcanic debris that’s shoots powerfully upward as high as the stratosphere. 

Source and all quotations: Pliny the Younger, The Letters of the Younger Pliny, 6.20

This article was written for Time Travel Rome by Marian Vermeulen.

Photo: Pliny the Younger and his Mother at Misenum, 79 A.D., by Angelica Kauffmann, English, 1785, oil on canvas – Princeton University Art Museum by Daderot is licensed under  CC0

What to See Here?

It may have a rich, intriguing history, but time has not been kind to Misenum. Little of its ancient past remains except its remarkable Piscina Mirabile. But for those interested in the wondrous feats of Roman engineering this site is worth visiting just for this. Built during the Augustan Age, it constitutes the largest cistern in antiquity, which long served the fleet at Misenum. Thankfully it has long since been drained so can now be navigated on foot.

To find out more: Timetravelrome.

The House of Pomponianus 

Pliny disembarked on shore and embraced Pomponianus heartily. Determined to go bravely about his normal routine in order to reassure his old friend, he asked to bathe. A little later they dined together. Pliny remained cheerful, at least outwardly, as night fell and sheets of fire were visible, leaping up from the slopes of Vesuvius. Pliny once again tried to calm his companions, insisting they were seeing abandoned campfires, or at the very least, houses already evacuated that had caught on fire. With this final assurance, he bid them all goodnight, and apparently fell into a deep sleep, for they could hear his snores through the door.

The rest of the house remained awake and restless, despite Pliny’s attempts to comfort them. Sometime in the earliest hours of the coming day, the ash had accumulated so high in the courtyard that it forced them to rouse Pliny, or risk him becoming trapped in his room. As they discussed their next move, the earth began to tremble and shake. Even the solid structure of the villa seemed to sway back and forth as it shook violently. The discussion changed from plan of action to merely whether it was safest in the building or out of it. Outside the ash and pumice stones continued to rain down, but inside seemed likely to collapse around them. 

To the Shore

They made the decision to go outside, and tied pillows on their heads with strips of cloth. They needed their hands free to carry lanterns. Dawn should have been breaking, but the world was still encased in the blackness of an artificial night. Pliny led the villa residents back down toward the sea, hoping to be able to sail back to safety. Unfortunately, the waves were still high, and the wind blowing directly against them. By this time, despite his cheerful façade, Pliny was beginning to struggle. He was a stout man, and out of shape, and he struggled to breathe in the thickening air. His friend Pomponianus called for a sheet to spread on the ground, and Pliny lay down, asking frequently for cold water. 

Stabiae was relatively lucky, far enough away to escape almost all of the pyroclastic surges. Only the very edge of the sixth blast reached the city, and its heat and noxious fumes were no longer enough to kill all in its path instantly. Pliny and his companions smelled Sulphur as it approached. With the premonition that something terrible was approaching, they pulled Pliny to his feet and tried to help him to flee with them. 

The End of an Icon

Two of the household slaves supported him as they ran, but it was too much for him. His windpipe had been weak for years, prone to inflammation under the best of circumstances. He choked suddenly on the fumes and utterly collapsed. The household, even Pomponianus, could only run, suffused by guilt at having to abandon their friend and would-be savior. A full day and more after, the darkness dissipated, and they were able to return.  They found Pliny’s body, untouched and uninjured, and appearing as if he were merely sleeping. Pliny had enjoyed an illustrious career as a politician and an eminent scholar. His book, Natural History, became a template for future encyclopedias. Sadly, many of his works, including large segments of his Natural History, remain lost. 

On that terrible day in 79 A.D., back in Misenum, Pliny’s family remained unaware of his fate. His sister and nephew refused for a long time to escape without him, despite the pleas of friends, and they almost lost their own lives to the tragedy because of it. 

Sources: Pliny the Younger, The Letters of the Younger Pliny, 6.16

This article was written for Time Travel Rome by Marian Vermeulen.

Photo: Villa San Marco – Atrio by Mentnafunangann  is licensed under  CC3.0

What to see there: 

Like the other Roman settlements that fell victim to Vesuvius’s eruption, Stabiae has been remarkably well preserved. Since excavations started in 1749, it has been internationally renowned for its many villas. Particularly worth seeing is the enormous Villa San Marco, a colonnaded Augustan era villa resplendent with wall paintings and paintings. At 11,000 square metres, it is one of the largest in Campania. Villa Arianna, which derives its name from one of its frescoes depicting Dionysus rescuing the demigoddess Ariadne, is also home to some phenomenal artworks, including the stunning Spring fresco. As you will notice, the villas have been stripped of their objects. These can be found, however, at Naples’s National Archaeological Museum.

To find out more: Timetravelrome

Eruption

During the summer of 79 A.D., the fires built beneath the mountain. Small tremors increased to the point of becoming a normal part of life. The shifting of the earth cut off Pompeii’s water supply, and the volcano rumbled and growled. The citizens of Pompeii spent a sleepless night on the 23^rd of October, as the shocks grew frequent and violent. When morning dawned, they rose to begin their day as usual. Around midmorning, Vesuvius spat out a cloud of fine dust. Not in the direct path of the wind, Pompeii only received a smattering of dust. The men and women began to hope for an end to the quakes of the night before.

It was midday, as the citizens settled down to lunch, when Vesuvius erupted in earnest. A gigantic cloud of ash and pumice, fifteen kilometers high and containing twenty-two million pounds of debris, exploded into the sky in the shape of an umbrella pine. The earth shook, throwing the terrified citizens to the ground, and a violent cracking and roaring filled the air. Many chose to flee, abandoning their meals where they lay. A professional baker left with 81 loaves of bread left in his ovens. Those that ran immediately likely escaped, but those that chose to stay would find escape increasingly difficult. Around 1:30 pm, the winds shifted and drove the volcanic cloud toward Pompeii. Ash, pumice, and large chunks of stone rained into the city, shattering roof tiles and damaging buildings. Any not killed by the maelstrom hurried to take shelter, cutting off their last chance of evacuation.

A Rain of Ash and Stone

Many still attempted to leave the city, hurrying toward the gates holding cushions and pillows above their heads. Though the initial fall eventually slowed, ash was still falling at a steady rate. Vesuvius was throwing 100,000 tons of debris into the sky per second, and creating constant seismic shocks. The city plunged into blackness, still several hours before the onset of night.  Half a meter of ash and debris covered the streets. Any that hoped to live had to battle to stay above the rising layer of ash. Two women and a child found themselves trapped in the open peristyle courtyard of the Villa of Mysteries. One of the women had to watch as her companions disappeared beneath the ash. She climbed hour after hour to the top of the rising debris; a desperate, but vain attempt to survive.

Those sheltering indoors were in just as much danger. The constant quaking of the earth compromised the structural integrity of buildings, and building roofs sagged beneath the weight of fallen ash and stone. In the House of Queen Caroline, two couples sheltered together. The collapsing building crushed one of the pairs, while the surviving two could only watch helplessly. Trapped by the falling rubble,  they died in each other’s arms. On the upper level of the Murcine Building, two woman protected three children, the youngest only four, but they could do nothing against the onslaught of Vesuvius. In a moment of thunderous chaos, the roof above gave way, with enough force to drive all of their bodies through the floor to the level below. Yet still, the worst was yet to come. At around 11 pm that night, the volcanic cloud reached its peak height of thirty-three kilometers. 

Pyroclastic Surges Begin

As the force of Vesuvius’s eruption lessened, the upward pressure was no longer enough to support it. The cloud collapsed on itself, sending a mass of hot ash and gases, over 815 degrees Celsius, down the sides of the mountain at between 62 and 100 miles per hour. The scorching wave of gas, called a pyroclastic surge, was only the first of six. The first and second blasts didn’t reach Pompeii, though they careened through the neighboring city of Herculaneum. In the lessening ash fall, many of those still alive began to creep out of their shelter. In the early hours of the morning of the 25^th, with a deafening roar, the third pyroclastic surge barreled down the mountainside and hit the northern edges of Pompeii. 

A mother, father, and their three children had been attempting to leave Pompeii, heading out the northern city gate. Hearing the thunder  from the mountain, they hid among the tombs, unaware of the new danger approaching. The heat was so intense it caused instant fourth degree burns, overheating the blood running to the brain, and causing cardiac and respiratory arrest. One wealthy family, mother father and two children, climbed to the roof of their home, the House of the Golden Bracelet, to consider their next move, only to be caught in the blast. In the Villa of Mysteries, a doorkeeper died in his office, and three women succumbed in their rooms. A young girl was standing at the entrance when the deadly cloud of gas slammed into the building. 

The Final End

The inhabitants of the Villa of Diomedes had hidden in the wine cellar during the first waves of violence. The house’s owner and his steward were standing just outside the cellar door when the blast knocked them over. The lady of the villa died comforting a boy and two young women. Fourteen other members of the household spent their last moments in the cellar. Their bodies were found covering their faces with their tunics, trying to escape the choking  Sulphur.

The third surge only reached Pompeii’s northern edge, but The fourth and fifth surges rushed through the entire city. In the Villa of Polybius, thirteen people couldn’t evacuate because Polybius’s eighteen year old daughter was eight months pregnant with her second child. During the collapses under fallen debris, they had been trapped in two isolated rooms. Polybius’s wife, her pregnant daughter and her son-in-law were unable to reach Polybius and the young couple’s first son, the families separated in their final, horrible moments.

A similar situation occurred in the House of Menander. Here, the separated group had been working frantically to break into the adjoining rooms and rejoin their loved ones. They never made it through. Near the southern walls, the force of the blast knocked down a family heading toward the gate. It came so suddenly that the older woman’s clothes remained blown up around her waist. Another family, a young father and mother with their infant child, were also caught outside when the blast hit. The mother desperately tried to protect her infant, while the father died still struggling to reach his fallen wife and child.

Nothing could have survived the fifth blast, and the sixth surge whipped through a lifeless city. 

Historical Note

*The traditional dating of the eruption of Vesuvius has been August 24^th, 79 A.D.. This came from the writings of Pliny the Younger. Yet there has long been question regarding this date. Archaeologists found preserved fruits on trees that grow later in the season and many braziers for warming fires. In October of 2018, excavators working in new areas of Pompeii discovered writing with a date of October 17^th. Written in charcoal, it is unlikely that the message could have survived from the previous year. Therefore a date of October 24^th is more likely, though it is still difficult to pinpoint the exact day. Historians consider the 24^th likely, again based on Pliny’s work. The discrepancy in dates in Pliny’s work could be due to a previous mis-translation or mistake in reprint. No contemporary copies of Pliny’s works exist today. 

Photo: Tétradrachme, Argent, Incertain, Épire, Pyrrhus by Pyrrhus (0318-0272 av. J.-C. ; roi d’Epire)is licensed under  CC0

This article was written for Time Travel Rome by Marian Vermeulen.

Sources: Pliny the Younger, The Letters of the Younger Pliny; Cassius Dio, Roman History; Cooley, Alison E., Cooley, M. G. L., Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook; Butterworth, Alex, Pompeii: The Living City; Mau, August, Pompeii, Its Life and Art

What to See Here:

The thing to understand about Pompeii is that rather than a city “frozen in time”, it is a carefully constructed archaeological theme park. Since the site first started attracting aristocrats on their Grand Tours during the eighteenth century it has been a place of deception—the skeletal remains of its former inhabitants placed in particular locations for tourists to conveniently “find”, much to their delight. And even today the site of Pompeii manages to transport, convince—and by doing this deceive—most of those who come to visit.

Apparently ancient areas such as the Large Forum and Amphitheatre, for example, were entirely rebuilt as recently as 1943 after Allied bombs destroyed vast swathes of the site. Out of necessity, many of its buildings have been both structurally and artistically restored. And the only way to know not only what you’re looking at but also from when it dates is to arm yourself with a decent amount of background knowledge.

That said, as a site that makes everyday Roman life feel immediate and tangible Pompeii is almost without equal. Its Temple of Jupiter at the head of the Forum gives you a perfect idea of the spatial layout of a Roman city’s social and commercial centre. The House of the Faun gives you a sense of the size and scale of Rome’s elite residences. The Lupanar (brothel) offers a valuable insight into some of the more carnal activities that went on in towns and cities across the Empire. And its House of the Tragic Poet houses a mosaicked artwork, the message of which—CAVE CANEM (or “Beware the Dog”)—transcends both time and language. 

But aside from Pompeii’s many structural relics, the site’s most poignant connection to the past comes in its plaster cast bodies, preserved in their violent death throes for perpetuity. You can’t always see them—when they died, it seems that Pompeii’s Plaster Cast population were condemned to an eternity of being moved from one museum collection or exhibition to another. But occasionally they are there, providing macabre reminders of history’s transience and human fallibility. And it’s not just people in Pompeii. As you’d expect from a fully-fledged settlement, many animals lived in the city, and you can still see the plaster cast of a small boar and a dog—the latter’s descendants, who roam the modern site, blissfully unaware of their ancestor’s fate. 

To find out more: Timetravelrome.