101. Stabiae, Secondo Complesso or Villa Arianna B.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Plan
Mosaic floors attributed to the Secondo
Complesso.
Floors described by Ruggiero/La Vega.
See Ruggiero M., 1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, (p.297-314), Tav. V.
101. Stabiae,
Secondo Complesso or Villa Arianna B. Plan based on La Vega published in 1881
by Ruggiero.
Tav. V ha la
nota: N.B. Mancando i numeri nell’originale di questa pianta, ci si son
suppliti quei soli che ho vano chiaramente riscontro negli altri documenti.
Tav. V has the note: N.B. Since the numbers in the original of this plan were missing, we have substituted only those ones for which I have clear evidence in other documents.
See Ruggiero M.,
1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, Tav. V.
According to Ruggiero/La Vega….
“Si era già
scavata piccola porzione di questa fabbrica dalli primi luglio 1762 agli ultimi
settembre dello stesso anno. Si è
tornato a scavare nel sito contrasegnato alli 2 Maggio 1775.”
(A small portion of this building had already been
excavated from the beginning of July 1762 to the end of September of the same
year.
Excavations were carried out again at the site marked on
2 May 1775.)
According to Ruggiero/la Vega….
8 luglio 1775
……. dove si è
incominciato a scoprire altro pavimento di mosaico in una stanza contigua a
quella dove si è levato già il pavimento. Questo pavimento è bianco con attorno
una fascia con vari lavori negri. Si è lavorato ancora attorno della peschiera già
detta nel passato rapporto, dove altro non vi si può tagliere che delle lastre
di marmo che l’abbelliscono nel suo giro………………
(8th July 1775
…... where we have
begun to discover another mosaic floor in a room adjacent to the one where the
floor had already been lifted. This floor is white with a band around it with
various black works. We are working also around the fishpond already mentioned
in the previous report, where nothing can be cut except the marble slabs that
embellish it around it…………… La Vega (minuta)
(Our room 12 – loggia, next to our room 13, where the floor
had been lifted previously in 1762).
12th August 1775
We had begun the excavation of the building already noted on the south side, until a room was found that had already been excavated at another time. In the said room, there is at its entrance the marble threshold 2.37m (7ft 9in) long and 0.53m (1ft 9in) wide, and a small portion of the marble floor. Now in order to continue the work in the same house, we have moved on to work on the north side, where there must be other rooms around a large courtyard….. La Vega (minuta).
101. Stabiae,
Secondo Complesso or Villa Arianna B. Mosaics, as drawn by Ruggiero.
See Ruggiero M.,
1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, Tav. VI.
101. Stabiae,
Secondo Complesso or Villa Arianna B. Report of 1775 excavations.
See Ruggiero M.,
1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, Page 297.
101. Stabiae,
Secondo Complesso or Villa Arianna B. Report of 1775 excavations.
See Ruggiero M.,
1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, Page 298.
101. Stabiae,
Secondo Complesso or Villa Arianna B. Report of 1775 excavations.
See Ruggiero M.,
1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, Page 299.
101. Stabiae,
Secondo Complesso or Villa Arianna B. Report of 1775 excavations.
See Ruggiero M.,
1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, Page 300.
Pisapia also describes mosaic floors,
numbered 112 to 117.
See Pisapia, M. S. 1989, in Mosaici antichi in Italia, Regione prima. Stabia, Roma, (p. 56-58).
Pisapia 112.
Possibly from la Vega/Ruggiero, room “a” on south side. (Miniero says from triclinium 7 on north side).
The mosaic measures m.6.50 x 5.46. Tav XXX.
Found in May 1775, cut into 13 pieces and taken to RMB.
Meander band with a central area with a honeycomb where each hexagon has a decorative motif of various colours and different from each other: pelta, rosettes, a cornucopia, a clypeus, a lotus flower, etc.
The mosaic was put as a cornice with another Stabian mosaic, no.120 from Villa Urbana.
The emblema was inserted into another floor among those of a smaller form.
See Pisapia, M.
S. 1989, in Mosaici antichi in Italia, Regione prima. Stabia, Roma, (p.
56-58 for number 112), Tav XXX.
See Miniero, P.,
2013. Ville scavate nel Settecento nel territorio di Stabiae. (p.6).
According to La Vega/Ruggiero -
“No.1. Dalli 8 alli 24 Maggio si e scoperta questa
stanza con pavimento di musaico come apparisce dal disegno contrasegnato collo
stesso No.1 (V. Tav. VI, fig,1). Le mura sussistono in piedi a piccola altezza
ed erano dipinte con zoccolo negro ornato d’alcuni arabeschi, ma tale pittura
si è trovata quasiché del tutto perduta.
Il pavimento di questa stanza si è tagliato in 13 pezzi nel mese di giugno
susseguente.”
(No.1. From the
8th to the 24th May this room was discovered with a mosaic floor as appears
from the drawing marked with the same No.1 (see Tav. VI, fig.1). The walls
stand at a small height and were painted with a black zoccolo/plinth adorned
with some arabesques, but this painting has been found almost completely lost.
The floor of this room was cut into 13 pieces in the following June.)
See Ruggiero M., 1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749
al 1782, Naples, (p.297, and Tav. VI, no.1.)
In
Stabia si è terminato di scoprire il pavimento di musaico che accennai nel
passato rapporto di palmi 23 per 17 ½ ornato
nella maniera che siegue. Tutto il fondo del pavimento è bianco, una fascia gli
gira tutt’all’intorno con dentro un meandro negro; nel mezzo vi un riquadro che
ha nel suo giro vari ornati negri e nel mezzo vi sono dell’esagoni di vari
colori, alcuni con de’ rosoni ed altri con istrumenti militari bene formati
(Tav. VI, fig.1). Come questo pavimento e la fascia ornata con vasi ed edera,
che gli descrissi nel passato rapporto, meritano di essere tagliati per
trasportarsi al Museo, avviserò Canart acciò lo faccia eseguire nella maniera
che stimerà più proprio, secondo è stato il solito…….La Vega (minuta).
(In Stabia we have finished discovering
the mosaic floor that I mentioned in the past report of 6.50m x 5.46m decorated in the following manner. The whole
background of the floor is white, a band goes all around it with a black
meander inside; in the middle there is a panel which has various black
decorations and in the middle there are hexagons of various colours, some with
rosettes and others with well-formed military instruments (Tav. VI, fig.1). As
this floor and the band decorated with vases and ivy, which I described to him
in the past report, deserve to be cut to be transported to the Museum, advising
Canart to have it carried out in the manner he considered most appropriate,
…….. La Vega (minuta).
See Ruggiero M., 1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749
al 1782, Naples, (p.226).
Stabia, Secondo
Complesso, Villa Arianna B.
Design of central mosaic floor from triclinium, according to design by Ruggiero/La Vega (Tav. VI.1.)
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum.
Mosaic in centre of floor from Villa Urbana, Varano, Stabia. June 2024.
Beautiful central emblema of coloured mosaic set into floor in Naples Archaeological Museum, “Magna Grecia” collection, Room CXXXI.
The surrounding
meander border is thought to be from Secondo Complesso at Stabia. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Room CXXXI, meander cornice thought to be from Secondo Complesso, Stabia.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. June 2024. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Room CXXXI, meander cornice thought to be from Secondo Complesso, Stabia.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum.
June 2024. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
Pisapia 113.
No photo of mosaic in Museum.
Threshold, with decoration of vase and ivy. Possibly from room on south side, near to room “a”.
The mosaic measures 2.57 cm x 0.53 in tessellatum Bianco-nero. Tav XXXI.
Found in May 1775, sent to RMB, inserted among the ancient floors of the west wing of the First floor.
See Pisapia, M. S. 1989, in Mosaici antichi in Italia, Regione prima. Stabia, Roma, (p. 56-58 for number 113) Tav XXXI.
Stabia, Secondo Complesso, Villa Arianna B. Ruggiero/La Vega. Doorway threshold of uncertain room.
See Ruggiero M.,
1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, Tav. VI,2a.
According to la Vega/Ruggiero –
20th
May 1775
In una stanza contigua a quella accennata nel passato rapporto…… e si è scoperta picciola parte di un pavimento di musaico molto bello……… Si è scoperta anche una fascia di musaico avanti una soglia con un vaso nel mezzo, ed ornata nel restante da rami di edera. La Vega ….(minuta)
(In a room adjacent to the one mentioned in the previous
report ……… and it was discovered that there was a small part of a very
beautiful floor……….
A band of mosaic was also discovered in front of a
threshold with a vase in the middle and adorned in the remainder with branches
of ivy.)
According to La
Vega/Ruggiero –
“No.2. Dalli 15
alli 16 Maggio si è scoperta la soglia di musaico che resta disegnata in questo
giornale.
E si è tagliata questa agli ultimi di Giugno (V. Tav. VI, fig.2)”
(No.2. From15th to 16th May the threshold of mosaic was
discovered and remains drawn for this Giornale.
And this was cut at the end of June (see Tav. VI, fig.2).
See Ruggiero M., 1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, (p.297 and Tav. VI, no.2).
Pisapia 114.
No photo of mosaic in Museum.
This mosaic indicated by the number 3 of Ruggiero, was found between May and June 1775, cut into 5 pieces and taken to RMB.
Una treccia a due capi su fondo nero, (A two-strand braid on a black background) sent to RMB. Tav. XXXV.
One can hypothesise that the braid had been used as a cornice with two rectangles containing hexagons in which were stars with six points, (see 106 and 115).
See Pisapia, M. S. 1989, in Mosaici antichi in Italia, Regione prima. Stabia, Roma, (p. 56-58 for number 114) Tav. XXXV.
Stabia, Secondo Complesso, Villa Arianna B. Ruggiero/La Vega. Mosaic from uncertain room.
See Ruggiero M., 1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, Tav. VI,3a.
The 3 mosaics on left, above and right of central mosaic, may be from Secondo Complesso, Stabia, our Room 11.
The fourth mosaic is not shown on the lower edge of the central square, this is the same as the top one, described by Pisapia as –
“No.114. Rettangoli con stelle a sei punte e
cornici a trecci dal Secondo Complesso.”
(No.114.
Rectangles with six pointed stars and braided frame from Secondo Complesso.)
Pisapia 115.
No photo of mosaic in Museum, but a small remaining fragment can be seen in room 11, of Secondo Complesso.
Possibly now in Room CXXVIII
(128) of Naples Archaeological Museum.
The pieces measure 1.95 m x 0.81. Black and white tesserae. (Tav. XXXI).
Found in July 1775, cut into 8 pieces and sent to RMB, where one can find it in 4 equal pieces, in one of the rooms of the west wing on the First floor.
Each piece is formed by a black rectangular cornice, which encloses three rows of contiguous hexagons drawn by two rows of black tiles, in which are inserted six-pointed stars, built on the sides of a white hexagon.
As mentioned, probably this piece provenances from floor 106, and the braid which frames two of them was the one mentioned in no. 114.
See Pisapia, M. S. 1989, in Mosaici antichi in Italia, Regione prima. Stabia, Roma, (p. 56-58 for number 115) Tav. XXXI.
Stabia, Secondo Complesso, Villa Arianna B. Ruggiero/La Vega. Mosaic from probable room no. 11.
See Ruggiero M., 1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, Tav. VI,4a.
Pisapia 116.
No photo of mosaic in Museum.
The mosaic is in black and white. The four pieces of mosaic measure 2m x 0.80 (Tav. XXXI and XXXV).
The mosaic was found in June 1775, cut into 5 pieces and taken to RMB where it was recomposed into 4 large pieces and inserted into the floor of one of the rooms of the west wing of the 1st Floor.
According to La
Vega/Ruggiero -
3 June 1775
In Stabia, si è incominciato a scoprire il pavimento di altra stanza, quale anche e di musaico, compartito con molte riquadrature negre sopra il fondo bianco. Canart ha mandato a riconoscere come si possono tagliare li musaici descritti nel passato rapporto…… La Vega (minuta).
(3rd June 1775
In Stabia, the floor of
another room has begun to be discovered, which is also mosaic, divided with
many black squares above the white background. Canart has sent to know how it
is possible to cut the mosaics described in the past report….. La Vega (minuta).
See Ruggiero M., 1881. Degli
scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, (p.227).
Stabia, Secondo Complesso, Villa Arianna B. Ruggiero/La Vega. Mosaic floor.
See Ruggiero M., 1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, Tav. VI,5a.
Pisapia describes and numbers this mosaic as no. 116, a black and white mosaic.
See Pisapia, M. S. 1989, in Mosaici antichi in Italia, Regione prima. Stabia, Roma, (p. 56-58 for number 116) Tav. XXXI and XXXV.
According to La
Vega/Ruggiero –
No.5. Dalli 3 alli 8 Giugno si è scoperta la stanza contrasegnata con pavimento di musaico quale apparisce dal disegno. Questo si è tagliato in cinque pezzi dalli 10 alli 13 Luglio (Museo naz. – Vasi, 6, stanza, triangoli bianchi e neri). Si e trovato nella medesima….
(No.5. From the 3rd to the 8th June, we have uncovered the room with mosaic floor as shown in the drawing. This was cut into 5 pieces from 10th to 13th July (Museo Naz – Vasi, 6th room, black and white triangles). Also found in the same room……
See Ruggiero M., 1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, (p.298, and Tav. VI, no.5).
Pisapia 117.
The mosaic is in black and white. The four pieces of mosaic measure 4.10m x 0.92. (Tav. XXXI).
Found in 1762 (a slightly different design is reported by Ruggiero) and taken to RMB where it was inserted, cut into 4 pieces in one of the rooms of the west wing of the 1st Floor.
The mosaic is formed by black circles which intersect to form flowers of six white petals.
See Ruggiero M., 1881. Degli
scavi di Stabia dal 1749 al 1782, Naples, (pp. 179-180.)
Naples Archaeological Museum, Room CXXIX. March 2013. Photo by Thomas Crognier for the ©Villa Diomedes Project, Image database.
Room CXXIX, however, has a mosaic carpet in the centre with rows of solid black circles, surrounded by a band of white rhombuses, inscribing squares alternating with black triangles.
Around the edge of the central mosaic are 3 (probably 4 but not all shown above) pieces of mosaic measuring 4.10m x 0.92.
This is possibly from the Second Complesso at Stabia.
(Note: now Room CXXIX has been carpeted with a modern flooring, and these mosaic can no longer be seen there.)
(See Pisapia, no. 117 (p.580).
Mosaic as shown in Gli Ornati 1838
See Gli
ornati delle pareti ed i pavimenti delle stanze dell'antica Pompei incisi in
rame: 1838.
and Gli Ornati (pt.2.1808)
Mosaic of 6 pointed stars in concentric circles, numbered 117 by Pisapia.
Now in room CXXIX of Naples Archaeological Museum.
According to Pisapia -
Tessellatum Black and white. The four pieces of mosaic measure m.4.10 x 0.92. (Tav. XXXI).
Found in 1762 (a slightly different design is reported by Ruggiero) and taken to RMB where it was inserted, cut into 4 pieces in one of the rooms of the west wing of the First Floor.
The mosaic is formed by black circles which intersect to form flowers of six white petals.
See Ruggiero M., 1881. Degli scavi di Stabia dal 1749
al 1782, Naples, (pp. 179-180).
See Pisapia, M.
S. 1989, in Mosaici antichi in Italia, Regione prima. Stabia, Roma, (p.
56-58 for number 117) Tav. XXXI.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Plan