Stabiae Villa San Marco updated on pompeiiinpictures

We have significantly updated the pompeiiinpictures pages for the Villa San Marco with new photographs from our recent trip, the Jashemski Archive and from other contributors.

Villa Poppea now has photos of some of the rooms we had been unable to access.
Our thanks to Drew Baker and Martin Blazeby for these.

Villa of L. Crassius Tertius has been updated with photos from 2005.
Our thanks to Massimo Gravili for these.

There are now four new villas added in addition to Villa San Marco.

Stabiae Villa San Marco                           Villa San Marco
Oplontis Villa di Poppea                           Villa Poppea
Oplontis Villa of Lucius Crassius Tertius    Villa L. Crassius Tertius

Stabiae Villa Arianna                              Villa Arianna
Stabiae Secondo Complesso                   Secondo Complesso

Our thanks also Buzz Ferebee and Michael Binns for their valued contributions to several villas.

Our front page has also been revised to separate the site content for Pompeii, Boscoreale, Herculaneum, Oplontis, Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Scafati and Stabiae.

There is now a list and location plan of 103 villas in Pompeii and in the area between Vesuvius and Stabia at Villa locations. Most of these villas were reburied after excavation and are not able to be visited and unfortunately this means that for these we do not have any photographs. 

Amoenitas - Journal on Roman Villas

The second issue of Amoenitas, the journal on Roman Villas published by the Istituto Poligrafico Zecca dello Stato, is finally out. This issue encompasses several articles on Vesuvian villas (click on the pictures below to read the table of contents).
The journal can be bought here, send a message to info@apollineproject.org if you want to receive a copy of Martucci et alii's contribution on the pottery assemblage from the villa with baths of Pollena Trocchia.

Newspaper article: Boscoreale - Rimodulato il programma di recupero urbano di Villa Regina

On StabiaChannel.it, news that the area around the Villa Regina at Boscoreale is to be regenerated.

Boscoreale - Rimodulato il programma di recupero urbano di Villa Regina

Operate scelte strategiche-operative che consentiranno di riqualificare l'area archeologica.

E' stata approvata quest'oggi dalla Giunta Comunale la rimodulazione del progetto preliminare del Programma di Recupero Urbano (PRU) dell'ambito di Villa Regina. L'amministrazione, impegnando somme di vecchi finanziamenti regionali e del bilancio comunale, pari a circa 4.574.000 euro, ha operato una scelta politico-strategica tesa a consentire quanto prima una reale e immediata riqualificazione della zona ex 167 di Villa Regina-Piano Napoli. Nel progetto rimodulato sono stati individuati tutti quegli interventi urgenti, necessari e strategici capaci di ristabilire condizioni di elevata qualità della vita per la popolazione del quartiere, e per favorire meccanismi di implementazione dell'offerta turistica, in considerazione della rilevante presenza in quell'area degli scavi archeologici e dell'Antiquarium capace di attrarre turisti sia dall'Italia sia dall'estero.

La rimodulazione del progetto del PRU (Programma di Recupero Urbano), prevede essenzialmente:la riqualificazione di Via Gesuiti e Piazza Masseria Gesuiti, area ove insiste il Santuario della Madonna Liberatrice dai Flagelli; la riqualificazione della scuola dell'infanzia e primaria del rione Gescal; la riqualificazione delle aree adiacenti all'Antiquarium di Villa Regina; riqualificazione aree e parcheggi bus turistici area archeologica; la riqualificazione di Via Montessori con creazione di spazi verdi di aggregazione sociale. Mentre è allo studio dell'amministrazione anche una valida soluzione che possa consentire di ristrutturare il complesso sportivo del Piano Napoli, vandalizzato negli anni addietro e ora inutilizzabile.

See here for the full article.

Villa Regina at Boscoreale also at risk of collapse?

If you follow the Italian media then you will know that archaeological sites across the board are liable to collapse at any moment! I have NOT been posting these stories, as you know, because the hysteria is unhelpful and often politically motivated. However, the following interested me, not necessarily because the Villa Regina at Boscoreale is at risk of collapse, but because security for the villa is now provided by UNARMED guards who don't actually enter the site! I didn't know that the guards were armed previously!

Napoli, Ugl, “gli scavi di Boscoreale rischiano il crollo, un’altra Pompei?”

“C’è il rischio di una seconda Pompei”, GUARDA VIDEO a dare l’allarme dopo aver esaminato le condizioni degli scavi di Boscoreale e le infiltrazioni d’acqua sui tetti di Villa Regina, è l’Ugl dopo aver ascoltato le testimonianze e le preoccupazioni di numerosi addetti alla vigilanza che hanno riferito dello stato del sito archeologico alla Soprintendenza.

Quello che spaventa il sindacato è anche la gestione amministrativa della sorveglianza sugli scavi, soprattutto da quando il presidio di guardia che era all’interno è stato sostituito da ronde esterne, che di solito sono custodi disarmati. Questo stato di cose potrebbe mettre in pericolo, secondo l’Ugl, sia le persone che le cose specie se a prendere di mira gli scavi di Boscoreale, dovessero essere dei malintenzionati.

[Source]

Article: Iron Tools from a Roman Villa at Boscoreale, Italy, in the Field Museum and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology

Just out:

Sarah M. Harvey, Iron Tools from a Roman Villa at Boscoreale, Italy, in the Field Museum and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, American Journal of Archaeology 114.4 (October 2010).

New Publication "Roman Frescoes From Boscoreale"

The Metropolitan Museum of Art have just sent me the soon to be published "Roman Frescoes From Boscoreale - The Villa of Publius Fannius Synistor in Reality and Virtual Reality", which has contributions form Bettina Bergmann, Stefan De Caro, Joan Mertens and Rudolph Mayer. ISBN 978-0300155198 - it is available for pre order on Amazon at the moment here. My copy has a different cover to that shown however. It would be improper for me to comment on the publication as I was involved in the creation of the 3D visualisation that appears throughout, but for £10 it is a bargain.

Colloque international: Les fresques romaines de Boscoreale

[A conference is being held on the Boscoreale wall paintings in Brussels next month...]


Les fresques romaines de Boscoreale : perspectives actuelles
« La Renaissance de la Villa de P. Fannius Synistor »

Musée royal de Mariemont et Musées royaux d’Art et d’Histoire de Bruxelles
Mercredi 21 (après-midi), jeudi 22 et vendredi 23 avril 2010
L'inscription par email est obligatoire.


Un colloque...

Plus de cent ans après leur découverte et leur dispersion, les somptueuses fresques de la villa de P. Fannius Synistor à Boscoreale près de Pompéi n’ont jamais fait l’objet d’une recherche collective, qui permettrait de réunir et de croiser les multiples approches qu’elles suscitent et de remettre à l’honneur ces peintures, qui comptent parmi les plus intéressantes du Deuxième Style pompéien.

Mais récemment, une collaboration de plusieurs chercheurs s’est mise en place autour de différentes questions relatives aux fresques du Musée royal de Mariemont et l’idée d’un Colloque international s’est imposée, afin de favoriser cette rencontre attendue depuis longtemps, où seraient conviées de nombreuses compétences et spécialités : non seulement l’archéologie, l’histoire, la topographie, l’étude pluridisciplinaire de la peinture romaine, mais aussi l’histoire des collections, les problèmes de conservation, de restauration, de muséologie, les projets de reconstitution virtuelle. Il pourrait en résulter une nouvelle vision pour le public de tous les musées concernés.

Les conditions difficiles d’étude des fresques, écartelées entre pays et continents, ne pourront être dépassées que par de véritables échanges scientifiques : c’est la raison d’être du programme ci-joint, qui a été élaboré avec l’espoir de redonner vie, couleurs et lumière à cette villa d’exception.


Informations pratiques...

Pour tous renseignements complémentaires, n’hésitez pas à consulter le programme de colloque.
L'inscription par email est obligatoire.

Il vous suffit de remplir la fiche d'inscription et de la renvoyer par email à relations.publiques(at)musee-mariemont.be

Exhibition: 'One at a time: the casts'

Press release from the SAP about the latest 'One at a time' exhibition at the Antiquarium at Boscoreale. This one is on the plastercasts (the dog, and some of the bodies). Previous exhibitions have been on the wax tablets and the groma, and a whole series of other temporary exhibitions arranged around particular types of artefact are planned. There will be a pamphlet about the exhibition, published by Electa.

I Calchi in mostra all'Antiquarium di Boscoreale

Le vittime dell’eruzione attraverso “I calchi”

Mostra Antiqaurium di Boscoreale

5 marzo-20 dicembre

Dal 5 marzo l’Antiquarium di Boscoreale ospita la mostra didattica “I calchi”, terzo appuntamento del ciclo di manifestazioni “Uno alla volta” organizzato dalla Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei, dedicato allo studio del mondo antico attraverso i reperti dell’area vesuviana.

La mostra “I calchi” , curata dalla d.ssa Grete Stefani diretrice dell'Antiquarium di Boscoreale, affronta un argomento che suscita particolare interesse nei visitatori, quello delle vittime dell’eruzione che distrusse Pompei nel 79 d.C.

Partendo dal calco di cane della Casa di Orfeo, che insieme al calco di un maiale e a quello di una donna rinvenuta nella Villa della Pisanella di Boscoreale, in esposizione permanete dell’Antiquarium, vengono messi in mostra altri calchi umani eseguiti a Pompei, in copia o in originale, a partire dalle prime esperienze del metodo inventato da Giuseppe Fiorelli, direttore degli scavi di Pompei dal 1861 al 1875, fino alle più recenti.

Il metodo di Fiorelli, prevedeva una colata di gesso liquido nella cavità lasciata dal corpo nel materiale vulcanico, che consentiva così di recuperare l’immagine delle vittime dell’eruzione.

Tra i calchi esposti quello di un intero gruppo familiare dalla Casa del Bracciale d’oro e quello di un bambino ritrovato nelle vicinanze della stessa casa; dalla Casa del Criptoportico il calco di un uomo in cui sono evidenti le tracce dei calzari con i resti delle borchie in ferro, e quello dell’uomo caduto dalle scale durante la fuga dalla Casa di Fabio Rufo.

“L’Antiquarium di Boscoreale ben si presta ad ospitare iniziative come questa – dichiara la Soprintendente Mariarosaria Salvatore – E’ importante che insieme a Pompei, anche gli altri siti vesuviani vivano una stagione di rilancio, promuovendo iniziative rivolte al pubblico capaci di ampliare l’offerta culturale e contribuire alla nuova vitalità dell’intera area archeologica vesuviana”.

“Bisogna ricordare- aggiunge Marcello Fiori, Commissario delegato all’area archeologica di Napoli e Pompei - richiamando le parole dello scrittore Luigi Settembrini in una famosa lettera a I Pompeiani del 1863, a proposito dei calchi che “sono morti da diciotto secoli, ma non sono creature umane che si vedono nella loro agonia. Lì non è arte, non è imitazione; ma sono le loro ossa, le reliquie della carne e de’ loro panni mescolati col gesso; è il dolore della morte che riacquista corpo e figura”.

Ad illustrare la storia delle diverse tecniche utilizzate nella riproduzione dei calchi, in mostra anche il calco in resina realizzato nel 1984 eseguito su una delle vittime venute alla luce in un ambiente della Villa di Lucius Crassius Tertius di Oplontis. Quest’ultimo sistema sperimentato integra il metodo del calco in gesso ideato da Fiorelli con quello della fusione a cera della statuaria in bronzo, permettendo di realizzare un calco trasparente che rende visibile lo scheletro consentendo l’individuazione e il recupero di gioielli e oggetti che le vittime portavano con sé al momento della fuga.

La mostra, aperta fino al 20 dicembre, è visitabile con lo stesso biglietto di accesso al Museo negli orari di apertura dell’Antiquarium di Boscoreale: 8.30 - 17.00 (orario invernale) e 8.30 - 18.30 (orario estivo).

In occasione delle manifestazioni per la Festa della donna, previste dal Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, verrà distribuita ai visitatori copia della poesia “La bambina di Pompei” di Primo Levi, che fu ispirato proprio da un calco di una vittima pompeiana.

Conference: La Renaissance de la Villa de P. Fannius Synistor

Musée royal de Mariemont et Musées royaux d’Art et d’Histoire de Bruxelles

Mercredi 21 (après-midi), jeudi 22 et vendredi 23 avril 2010

Plus de cent ans après leur découverte et leur dispersion, les somptueuses fresques de la villa de P. Fannius Synistor à Boscoreale près de Pompéi n’ont jamais fait l’objet d’une recherche collective, qui permettrait de réunir et de croiser les multiples approches qu’elles suscitent et de remettre à l’honneur ces peintures, qui comptent parmi les plus intéressantes du Deuxième Style pompéien.

Mais récemment, une collaboration de plusieurs chercheurs s’est mise en place autour de différentes questions relatives aux fresques du Musée royal de Mariemont et l’idée d’un Colloque international s’est imposée, afin de favoriser cette rencontre attendue depuis longtemps, où seraient conviées de nombreuses compétences et spécialités : non seulement l’archéologie, l’histoire, la topographie, l’étude pluridisciplinaire de la peinture romaine, mais aussi l’histoire des collections, les problèmes de conservation, de restauration, de muséologie, les projets de reconstitution virtuelle. Il pourrait en résulter une nouvelle vision pour le public de tous les musées concernés.

Les conditions difficiles d’étude des fresques, écartelées entre pays et continents, ne pourront être dépassées que par de véritables échanges scientifiques : c’est la raison d’être du programme ci-joint, qui a été élaboré avec l’espoir de redonner vie, couleurs et lumière à cette villa d’exception.

Comité scientifique organisateur (par ordre alphabétique) :
Alix Barbet, CNRS-ENS, Paris
Bettina Bergmann, Mount Holyoke College
Eva Dubois-Pelerin, CNRS-ENS, Paris
Cécile Evers, MRAH Bruxelles
Joan Mertens, Metropolitan Museum, New York
Grete Stefani, Antiquarium de Boscoreale
Annie Verbanck-Piérard, Musée royal de Mariemont

En collaboration avec l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, Laboratoire « Archéologies d’Orient et d’Occident », CNRS-UMR 8546 (Dominique Briquel)

Full programme available here.

Ritrovata la sacerdotessa di Boscoreale

News that the fresco stolen in 1997 from the Villa of Asellius and recovered last year in New York by Carabinieri is to be returned to Pompeii. Read the report in Insomma.it here. For previous posts about the fresco, its history and recovery, and a photo, see here and here.

Looted artifacts being returned to Italy from NYC

Here is an Associated Press release about the return of a Pompeian wall-painting. See an earlier post for details about the painting, its original discovery, theft and recovery:

NEW YORK — Two stolen ancient artifacts are being returned to Italy from New York City.

An Italian government representative is taking possession of them at a ceremony Wednesday. The artifacts are a Pompeii plaster wall painting and a Corinthian vase for mixing water and wine.

They were recovered by immigration and customs officials in June. Both items had been scheduled for auction in New York before they were discovered to have been stolen.

Immigration officials said the vase may have been illegally introduced into the art market by Giacomo Medici in 1985. The art dealer was convicted in Rome in 2004 of conspiracy to traffic in antiquities.

The wall painting was reported stolen in Italy in 1997.

ICE Seizes a Cultural Artifact Reported Stolen in Italy Almost 12 Years Ago

This from artdaily.org:

NEW YORK, NY.- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today seized a Pompeii wall panel fresco from a Manhattan auction house that was reported stolen in Italy 12 years ago. The fresco panel, which was the subject of an international search by INTERPOL, was located by the Art Loss Register of New York and brought to the attention of ICE and Italian Authorities. Italian authorities provided ICE agents via the ICE attaché in Rome with information and documents identifying the fresco panel as stolen and part of the cultural property of Italy. The panel, rectangular with a white background depicting a female minister, white wash on plaster with a modern wooden frame, was previously located at the excavation office in Pompeii and was reported stolen with five other fresco panels on June 26, 1997. The investigation revealed that, between 1903 and 1904, the Italian government authorized a farmer, Giuseppe De Martino, to restore his farmhouse, which was located on an archeological site in Boscoreale, province of Naples. During the restoration, six important frescos, originating from Pompeii were found. On July 12, 1957, the Government of Italy purchased the frescos. On June 26, 1997, after the completion of work to the excavation site, the Italian government observed that the six frescos were missing and subsequently reported the theft. The Carabinieri cultural patrimony unit previously recovered the other five of the six frescos. "We are pleased to assist in the recovery of this fresco panel. It completes the collection of the six panels reported stolen from the Italian government close to 12 years ago." said Peter J. Smith, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in New York. "ICE applauds the ALR for coming forward with information on the whereabouts of this precious cultural artifact, which will soon be returned to the Italian government.

Exhibition: La Groma

‘La Groma’. Antiquarium di Boscoreale, Via Settetermini, 80041 Boscoreale (NA).

Ingresso 5 EURO.

(Source: Flickr)

A great new exhitition entitled ‘La Groma’ has just opened at the Antiquarium of Boscoreale, and will run until 20th September 2009. The exhibition has been organized by Grete Stefani, and is one of a series of small exhibitions that aim to provide a deeper insight into particular themes or aspects of everyday life (the exhibition last year on the wax tablets of the Moregine complex was part of this series). It is arranged around two main foci: the Nicostratus funerary inscription which depicts a groma, and the groma found in the Shop of Verus (I.6.3). There is a modern reconstruction of a groma displayed alongside the ancient (reconstructed) one (which is normally it is kept in the storerooms of the Naples Museum) along with an explanation of their use, and – something I found very interesting – a discussion of the find-spots and excavations of both the inscription and the ancient groma. A range of other artefacts from the Shop of Verus are also displayed. Matteo Della Corte hypothesized that this was the shop of a craftsman who made, or repaired (or both) metal objects – although there is no way of confirming this. A whole bunch of technical tools were found in the shop (various types of blade, a ruler, compasses, tweezers and so on), but there were also many other objects including lots of bronze and terracotta vessels (many found on the upper floor), a couple of money boxes, an incised gem, coins, jewellery, and so on. I’d be interested to hear what those of you working on shops have to say about this one …

There is a nice little pamphlet that accompanies the exhibition and which illustrates many of the artefacts and their findspots.

Settimana della Cultura, 18 - 26th April 2009

SOPRINTENDENZA SPECIALE PER I BENI ARCHEOLOGICI DI NAPOLI E POMPEI
La cultura è di tutti: partecipa anche tu

Here is a brief summary of events. For more details and information about how to book, see here.

Da sabato 18 a domenica 26 aprile 2009

• Napoli, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, ore 9-19, Mostra “Ercolano. Tre secoli di scoperte”.
• Napoli, Terme di Vico Carminiello ai Mannesi, angolo via Duomo. “Visita all’insula romana con impianto termale dell’antica Neapolis”.
• Acerra, Area archeologica dell’antica Suessula, via Calabricito. “Visita al foro dell’antica città di Suessula”.
• Anacapri, Casa Rossa, ore 10,30-16. “Mostra di statue dalla Grotta Azzurra”.
• Boscoreale, Antiquarium Nazionale “Uomo e ambiente nel territorio vesuviano”. “Mostra ‘La groma’”.
• Giugliano in Campania, località Lago Patria. “Visite guidate al Parco Archeologico di Liternum”
• Piano di Sorrento, Museo Archeologico Territoriale della Penisola Sorrentina “Georges Vallet”. “La lettura fantastica dei segni archeologici”
• Sedi diverse: “Itinerario didattico tra natura e archeologia” (Baia, Pozzuoli, Posillipo, Punta Campanella, Pompei, Ercolano, Oplontis, Capri).

Sabato 18 aprile 2009

• Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, ore 11. “An introduction to the Naples Archaeological Museum” by Valeria Pitterà and Luca Prosdocimo.
• Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, ore 11.30. “Viaggio in Grecia” di e con Annie Pempinello e Salvatore Dota, e con Susanna Canessa, violoncello, voce e chitarra.
• Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, ore 17. “Un’ora al museo”.

Sabato 18 e domenica 19, sabato 25 e domenica 26 aprile 2009

• Bacoli, Teatro di Miseno e Sacello degli Augustali, ore 9-16. “Apertura al pubblico”.
• Bacoli, Grotta della Dragonara, ore 9-16, “Apertura al pubblico”

Domenica 19 aprile 2009

• Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, ore 10,30. “Presentazione del libro d’artista ‘Taranterra’”. Intervengono l’antropologa Katia Ballacchino, il cantatore Marcello Colasurdo, l’archeologo della musica Roberto Melini e lo psicanalista Antonio Vitolo; azione coreutica e musicale degli “Echi flegrei” con strumenti tipici della tradizione campana.
• Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, ore 16,30. “Alla scoperta del Museo”

Giovedì 23 aprile 2009

• Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, ore 15. “La colonia romana di Liternum: nuove acquisizioni e prospettive” di Patrizia Gargiulo

Domenica 26 aprile 2009

• Castello di Baia, Museo Archeologico dei Campi Flegrei, ore 9-14. “Castello di Baia: il Museo Archeologico dei Campi Flegrei”

L’ingresso ai musei e alle aree archeologiche e la partecipazione a tutte le manifestazioni sono gratuiti.

Vesuvius on-line, April 2009

The latest Vesuvius On-Line (April 2009) has the following articles:

• POMPEI (NA), RICERCA SU INDIVIDUI E DNA


• STABIA (NA), UNA VASTA AREA ANCORA DA SCOPRIRE


• BOSCOREALE (NA) RIPARTE DAI SUOI TESORI


• REPERTI ARCHEOLOGICI CHIUSI NEI DEPOSITI DI TORRE
  ANNUNZIATA (NA)
  UN PIANO PER GLI SCAVI DI POGGIOMARINO (NA)


• ERCOLANO, SCOPERTO UN NUOVO RILIEVO MARMOREO


• LA SCOMPARSA DI ROBERT ETIENNE, STORICO DI POMPEI


• PERICOLO VESUVIO: CHI CI SALVERA’?
  

Stolen Boscoreale fresco, for the third time

More details about the Boscoreale fresco stolen at an unknown time (still can’t believe that …) have emerged (see my previous posts) . Matteo Della Corte described the fresco in the Notizie degli Scavi in 1921. It was discovered in room 22 of the Villa of Asellius, which was located only a short distance from the Pisanella Villa. Both villas were discovered on land owned by Giuseppe De Martino and were excavated by Vincenzo De Prisco (the man who sold the Pisanella silver to the Louvre).

The Villa of Asellius was so-named after the discovery of a bronze seal bearing the name ‘Asellius’; it is claimed that Asellius was either the owner or steward of the villa. Apparently the villa was square in plan. It has been described as one of the most interesting working villas found in the territory of Boscoreale because – unlike other villas in this area – it lacked areas both for storing foodstuffs and for processing them. All the rooms around the large peristyle were decorated with wall-paintings and there was a bath complex. The villa was excavated over a two-year period, stripped of its finds and paintings, and reburied. Finds were scarce (a few coins, some pottery and a few silver and bronze vessels) and it is thought that the villa had already been explored by salvagers in ancient times. Another fresco from this villa was also stolen at an unknown time, but was recovered several years ago. (Source). There's an article about the villa and its paintings by Greta Stefani ('Boscoreale: la Villa di Asellius e le sue pitture') in Rivista di Studi Pompeiani IX (1998), 41ff.

Vesuvius Online, March round-up

There's an interesting newsletter published on line once a month by this month's edition includes a few finds that passed me by. This is the table of contents:

• Boscoreale. Ritrovato affresco pompeiano di Villa Regina (Yes, they got the wrong villa!)
• Colorata l''Amazzone' di Ercolano
• A Pompei riciclavano i rifiuti (on proposed recycling facilities at Pompeii)
• L'ultimo 'garum' di Pompeii (recent analyses have shown that approx. 90% of Pompeian garum was made mostly from bogue - a type of sea bream)
• Un'altra capanna preistorica a Nola
• Somma Vesuviana, Nuova statue dalla Villa Augustea (incl. brief description of excavations at the villa by the University of Tokyo - looks really interesting)

The stolen fresco from Boscoreale, again

Here are some more details about the fresco recovered in London (see my post of Monday 16th February). The fresco was found during the excavation of the Villa of Asellio, to the north of Pompeii (i.e. Boscoreale), between 1903 and 1904. It was located in a room next to the torcularium of the villa. The fresco depicts Bacchus (appropriate given its location!) pouring wine on an altar. Next to him is a basket of grapes.

The fresco found its way to the London gallery last October. Its last owner, realising that it was an illegally exported antiquity, decided to give it back to Italy. The fresco is valued at 400,000 EUROS.

Source of information and additional photo of Carabinieri posing with fresco(!).

Luxus und dekadenz. Römisches Leben am Golf von Neapel

On 7th February 2009 the exhibition Luxus und Dekadenz was inaugurated at the Archäologische Staatssammlung, Munich, and will run until 30th August 2009. The exhibition has actually been touring Germany (with a planned stop in Holland) since July 2007. There is an Italian news article about it, claiming that – despite promises to the contrary – the exhibition will NOT be seen in Italy due to lack of sponsorship. Instead it may be on its way to Japan.

One of the features of the exhibition, organized by the Soprintendenza ai Beni Archeologici di Napoli and the Roemer Museum di Haltern, is the number of objects taken directly from the storerooms of the Naples Museum (i.e. things not normally on display in the museum). The display includes jewellery, tablewares, frescos, garden statuary and gladiatorial equipment, and a range of other objects. Many were restored specially for the exhibition. But the most stunning exhibit is the reconstruction of the famous caldarium of the Pisanella Villa of Boscoreale. Excavated at the end of the 19th century, the caldarium was dismantled and transported to the Naples Museum, where it was reconstructed under the direction of Amedeo Maiuri in 1932. Thus it is one of the best preserved Roman private bath complexes in existence (and restored in preparation for the Luxus und Dekadenz exhibition), yet has rarely been seen by the public.

Stolen fresco found in London gallery!

A fresco stolen from the storerooms of Pompeii has been found in a London art gallery and returned to the Italian embassy in London. The fresco is apparently from a villa at Boscoreale. Read for yourselves the article in Il Messaggero. The really weird thing is that no-one knows WHEN the fresco was actually stolen! Which just goes to show how much stuff there is in the storerooms and how hard it is to keep track of it. Don't even get me started …