Casa del Bicentenario

Welcome to the Casa del Bicentenario, or the House of the Bicentenary, one of the most prestigious and historically significant private residences in the ancient city of Herculaneum. As we stand here on the Decumanus Maximus, the…

We begin our tour at the main entrance, or the 'fauces,' which opens directly onto the Decumanus Maximus. The facade of the Casa del Bicentenario was designed to be a statement of power and prestige. …

Step into the heart of the home: the Atrium. This was the most important public room of a Roman house, a grand reception hall designed to showcase the owner's taste and wealth. …

Directly across from the entrance, located between the atrium and the garden, is the 'tablinum.' This was the master's office and the primary archive of the house. In the Casa del Bicentenario, the tablinum is renowned for its…

One of the most extraordinary aspects of the Casa del Bicentenario is the preservation of its upper floor. In most ancient sites, the second story has long since collapsed, but here, the volcanic mud provided enough structural…

In one of the small rooms on the upper floor, researchers made a discovery that has sparked one of the most intense debates in Roman archaeology: a cross-shaped indentation in the plaster of a wall. Below the indentation, there…

At the rear of the house lies the 'peristyle,' a colonnaded garden that served as a private outdoor sanctuary. In the Roman world, the garden was an extension of the living space, a place for exercise, meditation, and social…

As we conclude our journey through the Casa del Bicentenario, we are left with a profound sense of the intimacy and the tragedy of the ancient world. We have walked the same floors as the Roman elite, admired the same frescoes…