16. Boscoreale. Villa Pompeiani di Publio Fannio Sinistore. Villa of Publius Fannius Synistor.

In later times the Villa of L. Herius Florus or Lucius Herennius Florus.

Excavated 1894-5 by Vincenzo De Prisco. Now reburied.

Located in the fondo of Francesco Vona in Via Grotta, Boscoreale.

Part :     1        2        3        4        5        6        7        8       Plan

Bibliography

Andreae, B., 1975. Rekonstruktion des grossen Oecus der Villa des P. Fannius Synistor in Boscoreale: in Neue Forschungen in Pompeji, Recklinghausen, pp. 71ff.

Barnabei, F., 1901. La Villa Pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore scoperta presso Boscoreale, Accademia dei Lincei, Roma.-

Bergmann, B., 2010, in Roman Frescoes from Boscoreale. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Beyen, H.G., 1938 and 1960. Die pompejanische Wanddekoration, L'Ala, (I) 1938, (II) 1960, vol. 1, (tavole).

Carrington, R., 1931. Studies in the Campanian Villae Rusticae: Journal of Roman Studies, 21, pp. 112 (n. 16), 119 and note 4, 127, 129.

Cook, B.F., 1964. The Boscoreale cubiculum a new installation: Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, January 1964, pp. 166ff.

Casale A., Bianco A., Primo contributo alla topografia del suburbio pompeiano: Supplemento al n. 15 di ANTIQUA ottobre-dicembre 1979, 5, fig. 4.

Cou, H.F. 1912. Antiquities from Boscoreale in the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, pp. 210ff.

Day, J., 1932. Agriculture in the life of Pompeii: Yale Classical Studies, 3, p. 177, 184, 187, tav. B , C, n. 16.

De Petra G., in Rendiconto delle Tornate e dei Lavori dell'accademia di Archeologia, Lettere e Belle Arti, Vol. XV.,1901, p. 40. [re name L. Herio Floro]

Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. pp. 429ff. [re name L. Herius Florus and others]

Enciclopedia dell'Arte Antica, Classica ed Orientale, Roma 1959, vol. II, pp. 141ff.

Fittschen, K.  Zum Figurenfries der Villa von Boscoreale: Neue Forschungen in Pompeji, pp. 93ff.

Kockel V., 1985. Funde und Forschungen in den Vesuvstadten 1: Archäologischer Anzeiger, Heft 3. 1985. N. 16, list and plan f.p. 534.

Lehmann, P. W. 1953. Roman Wall Painting from Boscoreale in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cambridge (Mass.), pp.214ff.

Metropolitan Museum items from Boscoreale See web site.  See video tour based on Kings College London villa model

Moorman E., in Dobbins, J. J. and Foss, P. W., 2008. The World of Pompeii. Oxford: Routledge. n. 16, pp. 436-8

Rostovzev, M., 1973. Storia economica e sociale dell'Impero romano, Firenze, 5° ediz., p. 33, note 26, n. 16.

Sambon, A., 1903. Les fresques de Boscoreale, Paris-Naples.

Sampaolo, V. and Bragantini, I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona. p. 180-1.

Simon, E., 1958. Die Furstenbilder von Boscoreale, Baden-Baden.

Van der Poel, H. B., 1983. Corpus Topographicum Pompeianum, Part II. Austin: University of Texas, p. 210 [re various names].

The current position on the villa

The web site of the Soprintendenza states:

La Villa di Publius Fannius Synistor fu scavata nel 1900 nel Fondo Vona, a Boscoreale.

La sua attribuzione deriva da un nome iscritto sopra un vaso metallico. Negli ultimi tempi fu forse proprietà di L. Herius Florus, di cui si rinvenne il sigillo.

La villa era decorata con stupende pitture in II stile pompeiano, affini a quelli della Villa dei Misteri e datate intorno al 40-30 a.C.. Le pareti più belle furono smembrate fra i musei di Napoli, New York, Bruxelles, Parigi, Mariemont e Amsterdam.
Sul lato nord del cortile era disposta una serie di ambienti decorati: un cubiculum con vedute di città e paesaggi architettonici; un oecus, contrapposto all’ingresso, decorato con una megalografia dipinta contro lo sfondo di un portico colonnato. Qui, al centro della parete di fondo, era dipinta Venere con Amore, a sinistra Dioniso ed Arianna, a destra le Tre Grazie; sulle pareti laterali a fondo rosso erano raffigurati sovrani macedoni ed ellenistici assieme al filosofo Menedemo di Eretria. Ai lati esterni dell’ingresso dell’oecus erano dipinte figure alate.

The Villa of Publius Fannius Synistor was excavated in 1900 on the farmstead of Fondo Vona at Boscoreale.

Its ownership is derived from a name inscribed on a metal vase. In its final days it was perhaps owned by L. Herius Florus, whose seal was found.

The villa was decorated with outstanding paintings in the second Pompeian style, similar to those at the Villa of Mysteries and dating to around 40–30 BC. The most beautiful walls have been dispersed among the museums of Naples, New York, Brussels, Paris, Mariemont (in Belgium), and Amsterdam.

On the north side of the courtyard had been arranged a series of decorative rooms: a cubiculum (bedroom) with views of a city and architectural landscapes and an oecus (reception room) opposite the entrance, decorated with a large painted scene against the background of a colonnaded portico. Here in the middle of the back wall Venus had been painted with Cupid and with Dionysus and Ariadne to the left and the Three Graces to the right; on the side walls on a red background Macedonian and Hellenistic kings were shown together with the philosopher Menedemus of Eretria. On the outer sides of the entrance to the oecus winged figures were painted.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1901 map by Barnabei.

According to Barnabei (1901) on the farmstead (fondo) of Francesco Vona in the district (contrada) of Grotta Franchini near Boscoreale to the north-west of Pompeii excavations carried out by Vincenzo De Prisco had recently brought to light a house decorated with wall paintings of high quality. The site of the discovery was a little less than two kilometres from Pompeii in a straight line, going from the city walls towards Vesuvius. The distance from Boscoreale was half a kilometre from the centre of the village. The district of Grotta Franchini bordered with that of Pisanella.

No. I on the map shows the district of Grotta Franchini where this villa was found.

No. II on the map shows that of Pisanella, where the Villa Pisanella was found.

The distance between these two houses is a few hundred metres.

See Barnabei, F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore scoperta presso Boscoreale. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. pp. 7–12; Tav. I (the map); Tav. II (plan).

According to CTP (1981) the Villa of P. Fannio Sinistore, V.R. (Villa Rustica) No. 16, was SE of Villa(?) No. 60 at Boscoreale, Via Tufani, contrada Grotta Tirone, fondo Cerulli [CB 71].

See Van der Poel, H. B., 1981. Corpus Topographicum Pompeianum, Part V. Austin: University of Texas. Location map f.p. 22; summary of sources p. 26.

According to Barnabei this is a type of villa rustica, a country house of which the main part functioned as a farm (the pars rustica). The rest of the villa served as a residence for the owner. The painted decoration of the villa attests that the original owner was a rich man with exquisite taste. The fact that the mid-first-century B.C. decoration was not replaced by more contemporary decoration in the first century A.D. shows an awareness of the quality of the frescoes in antiquity.

Excavations in this villa produced only a few finds, and only some of these were of any value, namely a gold ring and two bronze candelabra; and so it is to be concluded that the building had been stripped by the time of the disaster.

After the wall paintings were removed, and various mosaic floors were taken, the villa was re-buried.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore scoperta presso Boscoreale. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. pp. 7–12, Tav. I (map), Tav. XI (photograph of excavations).

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. The excavations during reburial in mid-September 1900.

Hallway or vestibule B. Where the ladder is leaning is the west end.

The rear portico, much wider and on a higher level than the other two, was reached by a flight of five steps, from the peristyle courtyard A.

At the top of the 5 stairs was a row of four columns flanked by pilasters which formed a vestibule (room B) which led to the more elegant quarters of the owner. 

The four columns and the pillar at each corner were taller than the other columns, covered with white stucco, fluted above, and plain below.

The back of the vestibule was painted to represent a peristyle colonnade, and between some of the columns could be seen trees and birds in a painted garden.

The vestibule had a white mosaic floor edged with a black band. Its walls were all painted with architecture and landscapes.

The wall towards the lararium (the west or left wall) had deteriorated. The lararium was found stripped.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas, (p. 285-6).

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. The excavations during reburial in mid-September 1900.

Site of lararium remains in vestibule B.  By the ladder are the remains of a lararium.

The west wall towards the lararium had deteriorated. The lararium was found stripped.

SILATVS

FAVST

STATVS

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Graffiti engraved above the stucco of the columns between peristyle A and vestibule B.

Sogliano read some names written in graffiti, mostly names of slaves, among whom were clearly those of SILATUS, FAUST, and STATUS, perhaps Stat (i) us.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) these are

Silatus            [CIL IV, 5433]

Faust(us)        [CIL IV, 5434]

Status             [CIL IV, 5435]

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Graffiti engraved on one of the columns between peristyle A and vestibule B.

A very valuable record for the history of the villa was engraved in this graffiti as it is dateable to the year 12 A.D.

It was scratched on third column, starting from the east.

It tells us that the day 9 of May of the year 12 A.D. (anno di Roma 765), when Germanicus was consul for the first time this villa was up for sale at an auction.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p.14, Fig. 1.

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

VII Idus Maias

auct(io) fact(a)

Germanico co(n)s(ule)       [CIL IV, 5432]

According to Della Corte, this was not a sale to the last owner as shown by the seal of Lucius Herius Florus, but presumably the father, in all probability his namesake.

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. pp. 429ff.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. The excavations in mid-September 1900.

Most of the villa had by then been newly buried again.

Corridor C is far right, leading to peristyle E. Room D is to the left of C and then room 24 to its left.

According to Barnabei, the whole building was the owner’s house, except a portion (room 24) to the left of the entrance, which was used for the business.

The main entrance of the villa was approached by a flight of five broad steps of Vesuvian lava.

These were on the north side of a small peristyle/colonnaded forecourt [A] which was only partly excavated.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. Tav. XI.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1901 drawing of excavations.

Looking across room 24 to west side of peristyle E.

Published in il Secolo Illustrato, 6th January 1901, No. 573, p. 5.

Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

At the entrance to the villa, to the right of the steps of the vestibule A were the rooms for the kitchen (nos.13 and 14).

In one of these was the stove, nearby was the oven

A mill was found here, and domestic household utensils were gathered conveniently together, i.e. copper boilers, iron tripods, grills, clay lamps, amphorae, plates, pans, mortars, etc.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Corridor 12. North wall.

Dividing the kitchen area from the other service rooms was a small corridor (no. 12).

In the north wall in the middle of the masonry was a tufa tablet.

The tablet was 37 centimetres wide and 20 centimetres high and was engraved with

MARIO

 STRVCTOR.

Between the two words had been painted the sign against the evil eye.

Mario Structor was probably the head mason who constructed the original building in the mid 1st century B.C.

Barnabei thought he was perhaps of Greek origin because of the name Mario.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p.15.

In this corridor was a trapdoor which led into a vast underground area, which stretched under the area belonging to the service rooms, and also had access from the outside.

This also contained the underground stable belonging to a horse, which looked for an exit at the time of the disaster, and remained with his head and neck stuck in the hole emerging from the underground area.

Presumably, the horse with the broken rope escaped from his stall and went into the corridor to seek a way out, but as it was so narrow he remained stuck there and suffocated before he could try and go back. 

A similar scene occurred in the excavation of the villa in contrada Pisanella.

Another upper floor was above the service rooms, extending well above the entrance hall, and could be accessed by an internal staircase.

It was a continuation of the owner’s area, and would have been sumptuous, judging from the murals that decorated it. Of these only a small fragment were preserved.

To the right, towards the east was a corridor 4 with two branches gave access to various rooms.

Three of those (nos, 5, 6, 7) to the right of the vestibule, were on the south side of the east branch of the corridor.

There was a window in the east wall of room 7 which gave light to the rooms.

According to Giacobello on the south wall of room 7 was a lararium niche.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico.  Milano: LED Edizioni. p. 228.

In these rooms, amphora pottery, glass jars, knives and other common objects of home furnishings were found.

On the north side of the east branch of corridor 4 were two rooms (nos. 8 and 9). Room 9 also had a window in its east wall.

Items of ordinary domestic furnishings, with the exception of a bronze candelabra and a gold ring, were found here.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1900 outline of graffiti in corridor 4 on the external wall of room 10.

Heading north along the corridor 4, you then arrived at two other rooms (nos. 10 and 11), the second of which was the toilet.

On the white plastered external wall of the first room 10, Sogliano read the graffito:      

PHILOTONO

PH

He thought it was probably the name of a servant, which the writer wanted to write again a second time, but it stopped after the first letters.

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

Philotono

Ph(ilotono)      [CIL IV, 5436]

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1903 drawing by Sambon. Small peristyle 15.

Part of a black and white mosaic pavement representing city walls, towers and gates.

See Sambon A, 1903. Les Fresques de Boscoreale. Paris and Naples: Canessa. 13, p. 10.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Small peristyle 15.

Part of a black and white mosaic pavement representing city walls, towers and gates.

Now in the Musée Royal de Mariemont, Morlanwelz, Belgium. Inventory Number B100.

http://www.musee-mariemont.be/

According to Barnabei, at the end of the corridor 4 was a small peristyle, 7m by 6m, which linked to the large peristyle by a doorway in its west wall.

It had a floor of white mosaic, edged by a band of black mosaic which represented crenelated city walls with crenelated towers and gates.

According to Sambon, it measured 0.34m high by 1.02m wide.

See Sambon A, 1903. Les Fresques de Boscoreale. Paris and Naples: Canessa. 13, p. 10.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p.17.

According to Jashemski, [Garden C on her plan], opening off the large peristyle was a small peristyle courtyard with mosaic pavement, enclosed on three sides by a columned portico.

There were engaged columns on the fourth side. Barnabei’s plan shows a gutter around the edges of the courtyard.

This courtyard was part of a small private bath complex and may have had potted plants.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas, (p.286, with plan on p. 285).

Then one arrived at other rooms (nos. 16, 17, 18, 19) rooms connected with the baths.

Given their communication with the small peristyle, underneath of which were the hypocaust supports, it seems that rooms 18 and 19, would have served for the warm bath or calidarium.

Adjacent were the rooms 20 and 21 that would have been the cold bath.

The first (no.20) was the apodyterium or changing room; the second (no.21) contained the cold bath or frigidarium.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p.17.

Fauces C

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. The excavations during reburial in mid-September 1900.

Fauces C leading to the south-east corner of the peristyle E, which has its corner column at the end of the fauces.

The house could be segregated from the work and baths areas.

It was entered through the fauces (room C) which opened in the middle of the portico that acted as a vestibule.

It was roughly six metres long, 3 wide and had mosaic flooring of various colours, in a geometric design.

The walls were decorated in a simple and yet rich manner. 

To the right and left, a small portico was marvellously painted consisting of marble fluted columns, which rested on a greenish-coloured podium.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p. 21-22.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Fauces C, east wall, architectural fresco.

Now in the Louvre. Inventory number P102.

According to Sambon this panel measured 1.64m high by 1.71m wide.

It includes all the space between two columns of the simulated portico.

Brown and yellow panels stand out on a red background and separated by green strips.

These panels are lined with coloured fillets simulating the profile.

Above the panels are cornice mouldings red wine colouring on white background.

Above the cornice are brown, yellow and green blocks on a red background.

See Sambon A, 1903. Les Fresques de Boscoreale. Paris and Naples: Canessa. 1, p. 6.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1900. Fauces C, east wall, architectural fresco.

Central part of decoration painted on the right wall of the fauces, as one entered.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p.22, Fig. 4.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale.

Fauces C. East wall. Architectural fresco.

Now in the Louvre. Inventory number P101.

According to Sambon this is the second panel from the same wall and measured 0.72m by 1.52m.

See Sambon A, 1903. Les Fresques de Boscoreale. Paris and Naples: Canessa. 2, p. 6.

Room D: Room of the musical instruments.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale.

Room D. The room of the musical instruments during reburial in mid-September 1900.

This room which by a small opening had access from the vestibule, had a wide doorway communicating with the peristyle.

It was paved in white mosaic with double bands of black mosaic along the sides; and had a length of about six metres and twenty centimetres, and the width of just over four and a half metres.

It had the decoration mimicking a portico formed with pilasters, and with painted green garlands of foliage and pinecones across its yellow background.

This appeared to be a room that seemed to have been intended solely for storage of musical instruments.

These could be seen painted life-size on its walls, with flutes, cymbals, a trumpet and a pan-pipe, all at eye-level on the walls. 

These were the instruments of cult of Dionysus, which had accompanied the orgiastic dance.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p. 36-38.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Room D. The room of the musical instruments.

According to Sambon, the wall panels had pine branches to which were attached musical instruments.

He lists flutes, cymbals, crotales (small pair of cymbals), a syrinx (pan pipes), etc.

This panel is from the centre of a wall. It was the only one conserved.

Two yellow panels are separated by a red stripe.

A garland is composed of two pine branches laden with cones, and from the centre of which are suspended two crossed flutes.

The panel is 1.80m high by 1.26m wide.

Now in the Louvre. Inventory Number P100.

Part :     1        2        3        4        5        6        7        8       Plan