Room r

Thomas Staub

Room r, situated to the east of corridor q and with its east wall bording on the narrow side street Vicolo di Caecilius Iucundus, is the second one, counted from the south in a row of five smaller rooms. Due to the coarse surface of the plaster and many ancient nail-holes in it and the walls, the function of the room can be defined as storage, a function it was reassigned again after the excavation to the present day. Beamholes in the east wall (the west wall is heavily repaired in the correponding height in modern times) indicates the existence of a now lost upper floor, probably as part of an independent appartement with the entrance at V 1,12. Beneath these beamholes, near the north-eastern corner a window opens up towards the sidestreet, whereas two former openings had been walled up in antiquity. Both the north and the south wall abutts against the eastern perimeter wall facing the Vicolo di Caecilius Iucundus. This room is like all the rooms to the north of the peristyle part of the extentional rebuildings or new constructions, which probably took place around the middle of the 1. Century b.C.
No remains of decorations nor of a pavement are preserved. The predominant mural technique is an Opus incertum containing mixed materials, but some areas made of Opus vittatum can be descerned as well. Extensive modern repairs from several periods hampers the possibilities for detailed observations.