Villa dei Misteri | |
 Villa of the Mysteries seen from above | |
  Location in Italy | |
 | |
| Location | Pompeii, Italy |
|---|---|
| Region | Campania |
| Coordinates | 40°45′13.3″N 14°28′38.8″E / 40.753694°N 14.477444°E |
| Type | Roman villa |
| History | |
| Founded | 2nd century BC |
| Abandoned | 79 AD |
| Periods | Roman Republic, Roman Empire |
| Events | Eruption of Mount Vesuvius |
| Site notes | |
| Discovered | 1909 |
| Excavation dates | 1909-1910, 1929-1930 |
| Archaeologists | Aurelio Item, Giuseppe Spano, Amadeo Maiuri |
| Condition | Well-preserved |
| Ownership | Public |
| Management | Soprintendenza Pompei |
| Public access | Yes |
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.
