I.2.28 Pompeii. Casa dell’Atrio tetrastilo or Casa della grata metallica or House of Cassandra. House and thermopolium of Polybius.

Excavated 1873. Linked to I.2.27 and I.2.29.

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I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2018.

Looking north to entrance doorway, from across Vicolo del Conciapelle. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

I.2.28 Pompeii. October 2024.

Looking north across Vicolo del Conciapelle towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking north to entrance doorway with step of Vesuvian stone, from across Vicolo del Conciapelle. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance doorway.  

I.2.28 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking north to entrance doorway, and west side of entrance corridor.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1498a.

I.2.28 Pompeii. 1935 photo taken by Tatiana Warscher.

Looking north to entrance doorway, and west side of entrance corridor.

See Warscher T., 1935. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2. (no.50), Rome: DAIR, whose copyright it remains.

Warcher wrote –

I.2.28/29 “La casa no.28 presenta un interesse speciale.

La prima cosa – un atrio tetrastilo con un impluvio difeso da inferriata.

Poi il triclinio a mattoni (h) costruito sopra uno sotterraneo; infine un piccolo forno (k).

Quanto alla pittura – non c’è rimaste niente sul posto.

Dal triclinio (i) è stata tolta la pittura di Cassandra e d’un bel paesaggio non si vedono che le traccie deboli.”

(Translation: House number 28 presents a special interest.

Firstly, a tetrastyle atrium with an impluvium guarded with an iron grating.

Then the masonry triclinium (h) constructed above an underground area.

Finally, a small oven (k).

As for the paintings, nothing remains in situ.

The painting of Cassandra has been removed from the triclinium, and only the ruined traces of a beautiful landscape could be seen.”

(Note: the numbers in brackets refer to Warscher’s plan with room numbers).

I.2.28 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking north to entrance doorway, and east side of entrance corridor.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1498.

I.2.28 Pompeii. 1935 photo taken by Tatiana Warscher.

Looking north to entrance doorway, and east side of entrance corridor.

See Warscher T., 1935. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2. (no.51), Rome: DAIR, whose copyright it remains.

I.2.28 Pompeii. October 2024.

Looking north from entrance along fauces towards atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking north from entrance along fauces towards atrium. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking north to atrium, along entrance fauces.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking south from atrium, along entrance fauces to doorway on Vicolo del Conciapelle. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.28 Pompeii. December 2006. Looking from entrance across atrium to the tablinum.

According to Warscher, quoting Mau in Bull. Inst. 1874, p.249-50, she wrote –

I.2.28 “L’atrium è tetrastylum, le colonne ioniche son di tufo, d’una forma piuttosto frequente in Pompei: ma in una epoca più tarda fino all’altezza di m. 1, 75 sono state rivestite di stucco senza scannellatura.

L’epistilio è formato di travi che portano mattoni, e l’apertura quadrata fra le colonne, il compluvium era chiuso per mezzo d’un’inferriata, di cui si trovavano avanzi e che adesso è stato rimpiazzata di nuovo.

La decorazione è semplice: scompartimenti rossi intermediati da altri stretti e neri: quello in mezzo alla parete è trattato a guisa di una nicchia, quasi per ricevere un quadro.

In fondo all’atrio c’è in tablino (d) e due camere (c, e).

Quella a sinistra (c ) era decorata dell’opus marmoratum, e allora la camera era alta e coperta a volta.

Più tardi fu abbassata la soffitta e la camera ricevette una decorazione rossa, nella quale prevale il bianco: vi sono que’piccoli quadretti rappresentanti uccelli, vasi con rami appoggiativi, ecc.

La decorazione del tablino rassomiglia a quella dell’atrio: sulle pareti laterali è dipinto un cervo che inseguito da un cane salta sopra un cancello.

Accanto vi sta un’anfora sopra un base, e sull’una parete ancora un gran vaso al quale è poggiato un cerchio.

Nel muro di fondo in mezzo vi è una porta che dà sul peristilio…”

See Warscher T., 1935. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2. Rome: DAIR, whose copyright it remains.

(translation: I.2.28: “The atrium was tetrastyle, the ionic columns were of tufa, of a form found rather frequently in Pompeii: but in a later time, up to a height of 1.75 m had been covered with stucco without fluting.

The frieze was composed of beams that carried masonry, and the square opening between the columns, the impluvium was closed by means of a grating, of which remains were found and that now had been replaced by new.

The decoration was simple: red compartments interjected by other narrow and black compartments: that in the middle of the wall was treated in the guise of a niche, almost to receive a picture.

At the back of the atrium, there was a tablinum (d) and two rooms (c, e).

The one on the left (c) was decorated with opus marmoratum, and the room was high and covered with a vault.

Later the ceiling was lowered, and the room received a red decoration, where white prevailed: there were small paintings representing birds, pots with branches, etc.

The decoration of the tablinum resembled that of the atrium: on the side walls a deer being chased by a dog jumping over a gate was painted.

Nearby there was an amphora on a base, and on one wall was still a large pot placed in a circle.

In the middle of the wall at the rear, there was a door overlooking the peristyle ... “).

I.2.28 Pompeii. October 2024.

Looking towards columns around impluvium in atrium, taken from I.2.27. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

I.2.28 Pompeii. c.1900-1930. Looking from entrance corridor across atrium to the tablinum.

Photo by Esther Boise Van Deman © American Academy in Rome. VD_Archive_Ph_210.

I.2.28 Pompeii. October 2024.

Looking north towards puteal near impluvium in atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

I.2.28 Pompeii. December 2006. Impluvium in tetrastyle atrium.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2010.

View of the atrium columns from the north-west column corner of the atrium. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

According to Fiorelli, the tetrastyle atrium had a compluvium made of grating to stop anyone entering the house.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p. 37)

I.2.28 Pompeii. Warscher described this as a “Riproduzione di un vecchia fotografia – Si vedono le traccie della decorazione murale del IV stile”.

(translation: “Reproduction of an old photograph – one can see the traces of the IVth style wall decorations).

Looking towards the north-west corner of the atrium.

See Warscher T., 1935. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2. (no.49), Rome: DAIR, whose copyright it remains.

.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2010. Detail of Ionic capital of north-west column. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.28 Pompeii. December 2006. Detail of column capital.

I.2.28 Pompeii. December 2006. Detail of column capital.

I.2.28 Pompeii. December 2006. Detail of column capital.

I.2.28 Pompeii. December 2006. Detail of column capital.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2010. Looking towards west wall and north-west corner of atrium. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2010. Looking towards west wall and south-west corner of atrium. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2010. Looking towards east wall and south-east corner of atrium. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.28 Pompeii. 1935 photo taken by Tatiana Warscher. Looking towards east wall and south-east corner of atrium.

Warscher wrote: “Come questo compluvio con la grata ricostruita è l’unico nella città io ne do ancora tre fotografie le quali darranno una idea esatta di questa disposizione”.

(translation: As this compluvium with the reconstructed grating was unique in the city, I show three photos which give an exact impression of it.)

See Warscher T., 1935. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2. (no.52), Rome: DAIR, whose copyright it remains.

Also see Warscher photographs numbered 50 and 51).

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2010. Looking towards east wall and north-east corner of atrium. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2010. Detail of column base of the south west column.

(Note original column fluting filled in and plastered over). Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.28 Pompeii. September 2010. Detail of column base of the south-west column. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

Vicolo del Conciapelle, north side, Pompeii. View of the excavations at Pompeii in May 1873.

Looking towards entrance doorways of I.2.29, on left, and I.2.28, in centre, and I.2.27 right with support during excavation.

See Overbeck J., 1875. Pompeji in seinen Gebäuden, Alterthümen und Kunstwerken. Leipzig: Engelmann, p. 34.

I.2.29-28 Pompeii. May 1873. Detail from photo showing thermopolium and house during excavation. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

According to Della Corte, the bar at I.2.27 was a dependence of the neighbouring house at I.2.28. He could not speculate who they belonged to.

However, he thought it was a certain Polybius, as proved by the recommendation found to the east (right) of the entrance of the bar (the pillar shared with the house at I.2.28):

Polybius rog(at)  [CIL IV 3379]

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.275)

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this read –

Popidium

/

aed(ilem) rog(at)

Polybius        [CIL IV 3379]

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