Villa of the Mysteries

Villa of the Mysteries
Villa dei Misteri
Aerial view of the Villa of the Mysteries
Villa of the Mysteries seen from above
Villa of the Mysteries is located in Italy
Villa of the Mysteries
Location in Italy
Map
LocationPompeii, Italy
RegionCampania
Coordinates40°45′13.3″N 14°28′38.8″E / 40.753694°N 14.477444°E / 40.753694; 14.477444
TypeRoman villa
History
Founded2nd century BC
Abandoned79 AD
PeriodsRoman Republic, Roman Empire
EventsEruption of Mount Vesuvius
Site notes
Discovered1909
Excavation dates1909-1910, 1929-1930
ArchaeologistsAurelio Item, Giuseppe Spano, Amadeo Maiuri
ConditionWell-preserved
OwnershipPublic
ManagementSoprintendenza Pompei
Public accessYes

The Villa of the Mysteries (Italian: Villa dei Misteri) is a well-preserved suburban ancient Roman villa on the outskirts of Pompeii, southern Italy. It is famous for the series of exquisite frescos in Room 5, which are usually interpreted as showing the initiation of a bride into a Greco-Roman mystery cult. These are now among the best known of the relatively rare survivals of Ancient Roman painting from the 1st century BC.

Like the rest of the Roman city of Pompeii, the villa was buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. It was excavated from 1909 onwards. It is now a popular part of tourist visits to Pompeii and forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Pompeii.

Location (top left) outside Pompeii