The city of Pompeii is historically famous as it was completely destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 AD; leaving the city buried under six meters of pumice stone and ashes until 1763, when its location was discovered after 15 years of excavations. Pompeii was a city that nowadays we would consider small as it occupied about 80 hectares, but very important for its habitants and other Romans. Pompeii stood on the shore of the River Sarno, which is now of no importance, but which at that time allowed Pompeii to be the port in which the merchant ships, which collected the agricultural products and manufactures of the city, docked. During the time of the Roman Empire, Pompeii was a prosperous city, nevertheless it never was as famous as it is now, and this is because of its rich history and culture. This is city is known to be the longest and biggest excavation site in the world. The excavation of Pompeii allows us to look into Roman life and architecture like never before.
The houses were constructed in a simple style, the had only one door to the street and was closed all around by high walls, there was no windows and they had high and narrow vents which served for ventilation. After crossing the front door there was a small narrow corridor which lead you to the central patio, also known as the atrium. Around the atrium you would find the principal rooms as well as the “tablinum” which served as the meeting place of the whole family. This was a simple type of Pompeian house which over the years was transformed into a more authentic and true palace, thanks to the Greek influence. Moreover, next to these luxurious houses of the wealthy romans or the enriched merchant, there were shops, small hostels, stables, ovens as well as hostels; all these buildings contributed to the daily life of the romans from Pompeii.
One of the new discoveries that has been found in the area of "Regio V," which is the area where experts and archaeologists are still investigating in search of new wonders, is known as Casa de Jupiter. This is an impressive palace decorated with frescos from the first ornamental style of the city, buried for two millennia. Through the years the solidified ashes have preserved the frescos with which the Pompeians decorated the walls of this prosperous place facing the Gulf of Naples. This building is dedicated to the Roman Ruler of the Pantheon, as there was a representation of him in a small altar inside the palace.
This house is composed of a central atrium which is the main courtyard of the rich houses of Pompeii, and in turn this was surrounded by decorated rooms and a long alley with balconies and a colonnade, which is a long sequence of columns. The rooms of this domus (luxurious Roman-style house) reveal a rich decoration typical of the first style, which was an artistic language inspired by Hellenistic culture and consisting of layers of stucco on the wall in the form of colored rectangles with bright colors like red, blue, green or yellow; as if they were polychrome marble. Also, on the walls of the palace there have been found numerous artistic fragments that represent geometric figures, birds such as the peacock, ferns or branches with flowers. Moreover, in the surrounding area numerous fragments have been found that are believed to have been part of a Doric frieze with red and blue ornaments that crowned the atrium of the building. On the other hand, a few meters away from Casa Jupiter, an impressive mural painting has been discovered, almost in perfect condition showing the scene of a sacrifice in the forest, around what appears to be an olive tree.
The city of Pompeii not only shows us the lifestyle of the Romans in ancient time, but it also has influenced art, architecture and many other aspects of this world. The destruction of the city of Pompeii was unfortunate, nevertheless its rediscovery has became an important part of culture still prevalent today. Its architecture is unique as it let us trace the history of Roman lifestyle.