Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii, The fascination of an ancient secret

About this activity

The Archaeological excavations of Pompeii are one of the most famous, extensive and best-preserved sites in the world, in fact they contain a large number of must-see attractions for every visitor.

Of these, the best known is probably the Villa of the Mysteries, which has well deserved its special significance: it is an extraordinarily well-preserved patrician villa that owes its name and fame to a series of frescoes dating back to the first century B.C. and depicting the mystery rites In honor of the god Dionysus.

Located just outside the city of Pompeii, in a scenic location a short distance from the sea, the villa repays the short walk required to reach it by offering an unparalleled spectacle in which the atmosphere of a distant past laden with secrets is exuded.

History of the Villa of Mysteries

The Villa of the Mysteries was built in the 2nd century B.C. and has undergone much extension and beautification work over the years, until it covers an area of about 2,500 m².

To date we do not know the name of the patrician family that owned this sumptuous home, but scholars agree that the building originated as a villa d'otium.

Latin otium was time off from business and public engagements, precious time to be used wisely to care for one's estate and home, or to pursue personal literary or philosophical studies that might prove useful when one returned to public life. The Villa of the Mysteries was perfect for this noble purpose: it was in fact a suburban domus built about 800 meters from the walls of Pompeii, but placed in a position to enjoy a magnificent view of both the city and the gulf thanks to hanging gardens. The earthquake of 62 AD, however, changed the status of the villa: the earthquake had in fact had profound repercussions on the city of Pompeii and its economy, and this caused a process of conversion of the Villa of the Mysteries from a patrician dwelling to a rustic villa reserved for the production and sale of wine. Tools and rooms that testify to this "second life" of the Villa of the Mysteries are still visible today, while no significant artifacts dating back to its past as a villa d''tium have been found.

The Villa of the Mysteries, like the rest of the city of Pompeii, was buried under a blanket of ash and lapilli during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. It remained hidden until 1909, and excavations to finally bring it to light were not completed until 1930 thanks to the work of archaeologist Amedeo Maiuri.

The frescoes of the Villa of the Mysteries

Giving the Villa of the Mysteries its privileged status among the attractions of the Archaeological excavations of Pompeii are the frescoes, most notably the large continuous fresco, about 17 meters long. The work, which adorns the walls of the villa's triclinium, is by an anonymous artist, created using the technique of the megalography, that is, painting life-size subjects. The fresco can be divided into ten different scenes that have given room for various interpretations by scholars.

Initially it was assumed that the work depicted a young woman's preparation for marriage, or a maiden's transition from childhood to adulthood. Today, however, the most accepted, and even more fascinating, hypothesis is that the fresco shows the initiation of a young woman into the mystery rites in honor of the god Dionysus. In this case, the scenes would show the ritual that leads the woman to become the god's bride, and therefore his priestess.