House of the Vettii

The House of the Vettii is one of the best-preserved private residences in ancient Pompeii, identified by two seal rings as belonging to freed slaves turned wealthy merchants, Aulus Vettius Restitutus and Aulus Vettius Conviva. Buried under meters of volcanic ash when Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, it was fully excavated only in the late 19th century. Despite its modest footprint, the house is extraordinarily lavish: its 4th-style wall paintings rank among the finest surviving examples of Roman domestic painting, depicting mythological scenes including Hercules as an infant and elaborate friezes of cupids and psyches engaged in various trades. The enclosed peristyle garden, restored with marble basins and bronze fountain figures, conveys the aspirational taste of prosperous freedmen in the early imperial period. Access is controlled — pre-booking through the Pompeii Archaeological Park is strongly advised.