Stabiae, Villa di Arianna or Villa Arianna or Villa di Varano A.

Excavated 1757-1762, 1777-1778, 1950-1962.

Part:    1        2        3        4        5        6        7        8        9        10        11        12        13        14       Plan

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2021. Looking north towards large atrium doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019.

W.22, north courtyard, looking towards large atrium doorway with painted decoration. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019.

Room 24, looking north across vestibule towards entrance doorway leading to the atrium from the porticoed courtyard.

Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019. Room 24, vestibule flooring. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

According to Gardelli and Ariano –

“In the years 2010-2013, the extension of the cleaning works along the north-west side of the square peristyle has further highlighted the presence of a cut (2.30 x 1.28m) visible at floor level inside the vestibule (46) in front of the atrium of Villa Arianna. ………….

(Note: we number this vestibule, above, as part of room 24, the atrium).

Here, on 15 September 1761, four years after the discovery of the mosaic of room 27, the threshold in opus tessellatum was identified inside the vestibule, on which the word SALVE was clearly legible. …………”

See Gardelli, P., and Ariano, C. Two lesser-known mosaic floors from the 18^th Century excavations of Villa Arianna at Stabia. (p.139-142).

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, SALVE threshold, as shown in floor mosaic, numbered 41 in Gli Ornati.

In the 1838 edition, a brief description of the mosaic is given in the index: -

“No.41. Bello era il pavimento riportato sotto questo numero.

Nel mezzo sembra espresso un seno di mare con pesci guizzanti e mostri marini, chiuso dalle mura di una Città turrita ai quattro angoli, e con quattro porte dischiuse in mezzo de' quattro lati.

Alla parte esterna di uno di questi leggesi in caratteri cubitali il cordiale motto SALVE, motto che ha dato nome all’abitazione del Salve tanto rinomata in Pompei, per essersi in quella il pavimento rinvenuto. Incisione del Cesarano.”

See Gli ornati delle pareti ed i pavimenti delle stanze dell'antica Pompei incisi in rame: 1838, mosaici pl.41,

And in Gli ornati delle pareti ed i pavimenti delle stanze dell'antica Pompei incisi in rame: pt.2, 1808.

(Translation: “No. 41. The floor, reported under this number, was beautiful. 

A sea scene seemed to be expressed in the middle, with darting fish and sea monsters, closed by the walls of a turreted city at the four corners, and with four doors opening in the middle of the four sides.

On the outside of one of these, the cordial motto SALVE could be read in capital letters, the motto that gave its name to the House of Salve, so renowned in Pompeii, in which the floor was found. Engraving by Cesarano.”)

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, SALVE threshold, as shown in floor mosaic, numbered 41 in Gli Ornati.

According to Gardelli and Ariano –

It is important to note, however, that it is incorrectly reported in the 1838 edition that the SALVE mosaic represented in the volume is the one found in 1785 in the so-called Casa del Salve (or Casa delle Vestali) in Pompeii. The one shown was from Villa Arianna, Stabia.

In contrast the one from Stabiae is made with black tesserae on a white monochrome background and is enclosed by a trapezoidal black band.

According to Gardelli and Ariano –

“The oblique shape of the mosaic threshold is not in its original form.

Its current form is in fact the result of a subsequent modification by the court artists in order to adapt the threshold to the trapezium between the squares of the window of room 14 on the first floor of the Palazzo Caramanico and it is in this form that it appears in “Gli Ornati”.

“The SALVE threshold was inserted into the floor of room 46 on the ground floor of the building that houses the current MANN, maintaining its acquired trapezoidal shape”.

See Gli ornati delle pareti ed i pavimenti delle stanze dell'antica Pompei incisi in rame: 1838, tav. 41.

See Gardelli, P., and Ariano, C. Two lesser-known mosaic floors from the 18th Century excavations of Villa Arianna at Stabia. (p.139-142).

VI.1.25 Pompeii. 1826. Sketches of details of mosaics from the entrance and atrium of the House of Salve.

See Poirot, P. A., 1826. Carnets de dessins de Pierre-Achille Poirot. Tome 2 : Pompeia, pl. 73.

See Book on INHA  Document placé sous « Licence Ouverte / Open Licence » Etalab 

According to Gardelli and Ariano –

Indeed, the mosaic floor from Pompeii is completely different from the one found in Stabiae as the auspicious inscription (CIL X 873b) is made with white tesserae arranged on a tabula ansata made with black tesserae.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015.

Room 24, vestibule and entrance doorway leading to the atrium from the porticoed courtyard.

Looking north-west.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, west wall of vestibule.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, October 2020.

Room 24, painted decoration on west wall of atrium at south end near vestibule.

Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, east wall of vestibule.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, October 2020.

Room 24, painted decoration on east wall of atrium at south end near vestibule.

Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019. Room 24, upper east wall of vestibule. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna 2013. Room 24. Upper east wall of vestibule.

Photo by Miguel Hermoso Cuesta, Wikimedia commons.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arianna_interior_01.JPG?uselang=en-gb

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, 1968. Room 24, upper east wall of vestibule.

According to Wilhelmina Jashemski, this 1968 picture is captioned with the wording

“The Villa of Varano comes to light in 1968 beneath a modern garden”.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1979. The Gardens of Pompeii. New York: Caratzas. (p.333).

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2021.

Room 24, looking north from doorway to atrium and across to tablinum, with fine view towards Vesuvius. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, October 2020.

Room 24, looking north across impluvium in atrium towards room 18, the tablinum. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019.

Room 24, atrium description board. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019.

Room 24, looking north across impluvium in atrium towards room 18, the tablinum. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, October 2020. Room 24, looking north across impluvium in atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2021. Room 24, looking towards west wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019. Room 24, looking towards west wall. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, west wall.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, October 2020. Room 24, detail from west wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, October 2020.

Room 24, detail from middle area of west wall at south end. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, October 2020.

Room 24, detail from middle area of west wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2021. 

Room 24, detail from middle area of west wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2021. Room 24, looking towards east wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019. Room 24, looking towards east wall. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, October 2020. Room 24, detail from east wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, looking towards east wall.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019. Room 24, looking south across atrium from tablinum. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, May 2010.

Room 24, looking south towards the porticoed courtyard (not yet excavated) across the atrium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, 1976.

Looking south across impluvium in atrium, towards doorway leading to porticoed courtyard. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

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According to Wilhelmina,

“This magnificent villa, located on the ridge of Varano to the west of the Villa of the Pastore, was explored by tunnelling from 1757 to 1761, and a plan was drawn by Weber. The villa was then partially excavated in 1950. Only three columns of the peristyle, which was in front of the atrium, have been excavated, but the entire peristyle, and surrounding rooms, are shown on Weber’s plan dated 1760.”

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas, (p.308) 

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, south wall in south-east corner.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, south wall in south-west corner.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, 1968. Room 24, painted wall in south-west corner of atrium. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

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Stabiae, Villa Arianna, 1968. Room 24, detail from west wall of atrium. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

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Stabiae, Villa Arianna, 1976. Room 24, looking towards south-west corner of atrium. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Behind the wall in the south-west corner would be Room 44.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

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Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2021. Room 24, looking south towards impluvium in atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019. Room 24, looking south towards impluvium in atrium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, looking east across impluvium in atrium.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, looking north to the tablinum.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, lararium with small podium in ala in north-east corner of atrium

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, 1976. Room 24, north-east corner of atrium. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

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Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, podiums/altars in north-east corner of atrium.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, mosaic floor on north side of podium.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, podiums/altars.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, mosaic floor on south side of podium/altar.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, looking across the atrium towards the west ala.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, the west ala.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, doorway to cubiculum in north wall of west ala.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, doorway to cubiculum in north wall of west ala.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, threshold of doorway.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, looking north across mosaic floor of cubiculum.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, north wall of cubiculum.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, east wall of cubiculum. Originally this wall would have been open into the tablinum.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, remains of painted decoration on east wall of cubiculum.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, details of remaining decoration from east wall.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, details of remaining decoration from east wall.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, south wall of cubiculum.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, west wall of cubiculum.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 23, looking east across mosaic floor in cubiculum.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, looking south-east across atrium, from near room 23.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 24, looking towards south wall of atrium, from north-west corner.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, found 26th September 1761. Atrium, two fragments of wall painting of the sack of Troy.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9893.

See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 446.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, found 18th September 1761. Atrium, wall painting of elegantly dressed woman with mirror.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9525.

See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 446.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, found 18th September 1761. Atrium, wall painting of Athena/Minerva.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9527.

See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 445.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, found 17th September 1761. Atrium, wall painting of two river divinities.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 8885.

See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 445.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, atrium, pastiche of wall painting fragments.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9883.

See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 444.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, atrium, pastiche of wall painting fragments.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9896.

See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 444.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, found 5th September 1761. Atrium, wall painting of flying couple.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9136.

See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 443.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, found 18th September 1761. Atrium, wall painting of objects in metallic style.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9758.

See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 442.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna. Painted candelabra found -

In centre, found Gragnano, 10th September 1761.

All the decorations, the two masking (perhaps Bacchic), the scorpion, and the basket, are all yellow.

See Antichità di Ercolano: Tomo Quarto: Le Pitture 4, 1765, p.333, no.67.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9758.

The other 2 candelabra are from Pompeii VII.6.38.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, found 18th September 1761. Atrium, wall painting of Helios?

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 8839.

See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 441.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, found September 1761. Atrium, wall painting of a candelabra topped with a cista (sacred utensil container).

The cista, used primarily in Dionysian rites, contains a rhyton and kantharos, with the sacred vine leaf to the right, all symbols of the god.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9943.

See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 448.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, found 19 September 1761. Atrium, fragment of wall painting of two horses.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9802.

See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 447.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, room 24, fragments of wall painting of floating figures.

According to the museum label this is from room 24. Inventory number 63985.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, May 2010. Room 24, looking south across the atrium, from tablinum, room 18. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2021.

Room 24, looking south across the atrium, from tablinum, room 18. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 18, looking north-east across tablinum towards Vesuvius.

According to the onsite description board, a large part of the mosaic flooring was removed in the Bourbon era and was recomposed in a hall of the Naples Archaeological Museum. The preliminary sketch of the mosaic was brought to light in the 1950’s.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019. Room 18, description on information board referring to mosaic and sketch.

Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, Room 18 tablinum, fragment of the mosaic and the sinopia.

See Bollettino d’Arte 1973 Fasc. I. Robotti C, Una sinopia musiva pavimentale a Stabia (p.43, fig. 1)

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019.

Room 18, preliminary design in sinopia of mosaic floor in tablinum as shown on atrium information board. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, Room 18, plan of the tablinum - Graphic reconstruction of the sinopia with mosaic fragment overlaid.

See Bollettino d’Arte 1973 Fasc. I. Robotti C, Una sinopia musiva pavimentale a Stabia (p.44, fig. 5)

Stabia, September 2018. Looking north towards Vesuvius.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Looking north to Vesuvius from the tablinum, room 18.

On a lower level of the villa here are rooms 54bis, 55, 56, 57 and 58.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2021.

Room on north side of tablinum, remains of mosaic flooring. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019. Room on north side of tablinum, remains of mosaic floor. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, June 2019. Room on north side of tablinum, 18, remains of mosaic floor. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room on north side of tablinum, looking south towards remains of mosaic floor.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015.

Room 18, west wall of tablinum with blocked doorway that would have given access to room 23.

Stabiae, Villa Arianna, September 2015. Room 42, looking south-east from tablinum, room 18.

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