Herculaneum Archaeological Park's Gem House opens to the public

From March 26, 2022, the Herculaneum Archaeological Park will open to the public, on a trial basis, the House of the Gem with its precious floor mosaics. The archaeological site’s tour thus expands with the recovery of yet another portion of the ancient Roman city’s cultural heritage, following the recent restoration of the mosaic flooring.

The House of the Gem owes its name to the discovery of a jewel dating from theage of Claudius on which Livia’s face was engraved.

Originally united with the House of the Relief of Telefo, it formed a single complex. The house is located at thesouthern end of Cardo V; the rooms on the lower floor overlook the Suburban Baths.

The entrance fauces retain part of the third-style decoration with red panels and black flooring with polychrome marble inserts. From here one passes to the atrium of Tuscanic order with central impluvium covered in marble. At the eastern end of the atrium is the tablinum outlined by a row of Doric columns. At the southwest corner of the atrium, a passageway leads to the kitchen area and latrines, where graffiti on one of the walls recalls the visit of a certain Apollinaris. The terrace, with a black mosaic floor with a white border, bordered, along with the tablinum, the west side of the enclosed garden of the house; on a small vestibule on the west side of the terrace opens a large triclinium decorated in the third style with red, yellow, and black panels above a black frieze.

An exclusive preview for journalists is scheduled for March 25, 2022 at 12 noon.

Ph.Credit

Herculaneum Archaeological Park's Gem House opens to the public

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