--- title: "Fullonica of Stephanus I.6.7 - Pompeii Online" description: "The ancient city of Pompeii: Information on visiting hours, tickets, guides, online tickets, tourist itineraries, news and much more." url: "https://www.pompeionline.net/en/buildings-and-places/regio-i/fullonica-of-stephanus-i-6-7" date: "2026-09-15T08:44:55+00:00" language: "en-GB" --- # Fullonica of Stephanus I.6.7 The **Fullonica of Stephanus I.6.7**, on Via dell'Abbondanza, is one of Pompeii's best-preserved complexes for understanding how textiles were washed, degreased and finished in the Roman world. It was not originally built as a workshop: in the final phase of the city's life, an earlier atrium house was extensively remodelled, with the addition of vats, workstations and the equipment needed by the *fullones*. What makes the building distinctive is this combination of **work and domestic life**. Some areas were radically converted for textile production, while others retained their decoration, kitchen and the features of an ordinary home. The Fullonica of Stephanus therefore shows how, in first-century AD Pompeii, a household and a business could share the same spaces without a clear separation between them. ### A house converted into a workshop The building originally had the typical layout of an **atrium house**, with rooms arranged around a central space and an open area at the rear. In the final phase of its history, the property was remodelled to accommodate a fullery. The Archaeological Park places this conversion in the city's last decades, and the alterations are generally associated with the major period of urban reorganisation following the earthquake of **AD 62**. The earlier home was not, however, demolished and replaced by an entirely new industrial building: its domestic spaces were adapted to the needs of the business, leaving many features of the original house still recognisable. This arrangement allowed the business to operate in a particularly advantageous location, directly on the busy Via dell'Abbondanza. ### What was a fullonica? The Latin word *fullonica* denotes a facility where **fullones** processed textiles. Their work included both treating newly produced cloth and cleaning and finishing garments that had already been worn. Newly woven wool could contain grease and impurities that needed to be removed. Used textiles, by contrast, required washing, stain removal and further treatments to restore firmness and an even appearance to the fibres. A fullery should therefore be understood as more than the equivalent of a modern laundry. Part of its work belonged specifically to **textile finishing**, an important stage in Roman textile production. ### Stephanus The modern name comes from **Stephanus**, who is mentioned in electoral inscriptions painted on the building's façade. He has traditionally been identified as the owner of the fullery, an interpretation retained in the Park's guide. The connection is very plausible, but no document explicitly states that Stephanus owned the property. Some studies therefore leave open the possibility that he owned the business, managed it, or was otherwise closely associated with the workshop. It is consequently preferable to treat **Fullonica of Stephanus as an established archaeological name**, without attempting to reconstruct a biography that the sources cannot support. ### The entrance on Via dell'Abbondanza The street frontage had a wide opening, giving the business direct access to the traffic on Via dell'Abbondanza. The front area must have been particularly important for dealings with customers and suppliers, and for some of the final stages of processing. Excavations in this part of the building uncovered components of a **large cloth press**, as well as shears, combs and other tools associated with textile working. The workshop's location was therefore exceptionally convenient: customers could reach it directly from one of the city's main commercial thoroughfares, without passing through outlying or specifically industrial districts. ### A large cloth press The presence of the **press, or torcular**, is one of the most important clues for reconstructing the production process. After washing and treatment, textiles had to be finished and made as smooth and even as possible. The main part of the wooden structure naturally has not survived, but excavators identified metal components and traces in the building that establish its presence. Pressing was one of the final operations in the process and helped improve the cloth's appearance before it was returned to its owner or offered for sale. ### The atrium Beyond the front area lay the former **atrium of the house**, which still retained its rich wall decoration. Conversion for production did not completely erase the building's domestic character. This is significant because the entire ground floor was often interpreted in the past as a series of rooms used exclusively by the fullery. Studies of the distribution of finds have instead shown that domestic and productive activities probably continued alongside one another. The Fullonica of Stephanus can therefore be understood as a **multifunctional complex where people both lived and worked**. ### The large basin in the atrium At the centre of the atrium is a large basin with raised sides, built where the impluvium had previously stood. The Park's official guide interprets it as one of the alterations made when the house was converted into a fullery, and as a structure associated with textile treatment. Some modern research, however, has proposed a more cautious interpretation. The basin had **sides painted with plants and birds, marble inlays and a decorated fountain**, rather elaborate features for a simple washing installation. Moreover, the actual production facilities, with vats and treading stalls, were already located at the rear. The precise function of the atrium basin therefore remains debated: it may have been adapted for the fullery's activities, but it need not be regarded with certainty as an industrial vat. ### The decoration of the atrium The surviving decoration shows how clearly the building's earlier residential function could still be perceived. The walls have coloured panels and architectural motifs, while the exterior of the central basin was decorated with **birds and plants against a red background**. Its floor also incorporated fragments and small slabs of marble. TESS records these surfaces and dates them to the first century AD. Such carefully executed decoration makes the Fullonica of Stephanus particularly interesting: textile working was not confined to a building devoid of domestic character, but took place within a former residence that was still richly decorated. ### The production area at the rear The fullery's principal working installations were concentrated at the back of the building. Here, **three large rinsing vats and five textile-treading stalls** were constructed. The layout allowed different stages of processing to take place at the same time. Workers could treat cloth in the small stalls and then transfer it to the vats supplied with clean water. This area makes it particularly clear that the work was not improvised: the installation was designed for an organised, repetitive production process. ### The work of the fullones One characteristic operation involved placing cloth in small containers or vats and **treading it repeatedly underfoot**. This motion worked the cleaning substances into the fibres and helped remove grease and impurities. It was physically demanding work that could continue for long periods. The stalls were designed to allow workers to keep their balance while treading the cloth. Images of fullones treading textiles also appear in Roman art, depicting one of the most recognisable stages of the ancient fulling process. ### Urine as a cleaning agent The substances used included **human and animal urine**, valued for the degreasing properties of the ammoniacal compounds that formed as it decomposed. The practice may seem unusual to a modern visitor, but it had a specific chemical effectiveness. Urine could be collected in containers placed around the city and became a useful raw material for the fullones. It was not the only substance available. Textile processing also used **water, clays and other cleaning or absorbent substances**, selected according to the stage of work and the desired result. ### Fuller's earth Certain earths and clays had properties that helped absorb grease and impurities from fibres. So-called **fuller's earth** could therefore be used alongside or instead of other substances in textile treatment. The process did not follow a single recipe applied indiscriminately to every piece of cloth. The type of fibre, its colour, the condition of the textile and the desired result could call for different treatments. It is therefore more accurate to think of the fullery as a workshop with specialised technical knowledge, passed on through the experience of its workers. ### The three rinsing vats After the initial treatment, the cloth had to be thoroughly **rinsed in clean water**. Three vats connected to the water supply were built at the rear of the building. The structures stood at different levels, facilitating the flow of water and allowing the vats to be used in sequence during rinsing. This system was one of the workshop's most costly and technically demanding installations. Running water was essential: without a constant supply, it would have been impossible to process substantial quantities of cloth on a regular basis. ### The connection with the aqueduct The extension of the aqueduct system through Pompeii profoundly changed the availability of water for businesses and private homes. Establishments such as the Fullonica of Stephanus could thus install washing facilities that were much more efficient than those relying solely on rainwater collected in cisterns. Water was particularly important during rinsing, when the substances used in treatment had to be removed from the fibres. The fullery also demonstrates how closely urban infrastructure was connected to the development of the city's economic activities. ### Drying the cloth The conversion of the old house also affected the upper part of the building. According to the Park's reconstruction, the atrium roof was altered with the addition of a **skylight**, and the upper surface was used as a terrace where textiles could be laid out to dry. An open terrace provided sufficient light, air and space to spread out the cloth after washing. Other finishing work could also take place in this upper area. This arrangement made use of the vertical space within an urban property where the available ground-floor area was limited. ### Home and workshop in the same building The kitchen, latrine and several rooms containing everyday objects have led archaeologists to reconsider the idea that the house was completely converted into a factory. Analysis of the finds suggests that **a household continued to live in the building**, probably alongside people involved in production. Objects indicating the presence of women have also been identified, making it difficult to regard the complex simply as a dormitory for a team of workers. We do not know precisely who made up this resident group. The house may have accommodated a family, workers, servants and enslaved people in proportions that can no longer be established. ### Enslaved labour The Park's official guide emphasises the role of **enslaved people** in the fullery's arduous work. Enslaved labour was certainly a fundamental part of the Roman economy, and physically demanding activities such as fulling could be assigned to people living in slavery. For this particular workshop, however, the finds suggest a more complex domestic and working environment. It is not possible to identify the legal status of each person who worked in the vats. It is therefore appropriate to acknowledge the role of slavery without automatically assuming that every worker in the Fullonica of Stephanus was enslaved. ### A business integrated into the city The Fullonica of Stephanus demonstrates how closely production and urban life were integrated. The workshop stood not in an industrial district separated from housing, but directly on **Via dell'Abbondanza**, alongside houses, shops and other businesses. Smells, noise, arriving customers and the transport of textiles were consequently part of everyday life in the neighbourhood. The Roman city did not have the clear modern division between residential and production areas: work, trade and domestic life could share the same street, and even the same building. ### The importance of the textile industry Textile working held an important place in the Pompeian economy. Before cloth could be worn or sold, it required numerous operations involving spinning, weaving, dyeing, washing and finishing. The fullones undertook one of the decisive stages in this process. Their services were needed both for new textiles and to keep garments already in use in good condition. The location and organisation of the Fullonica of Stephanus show that this was no marginal activity, but a service fully integrated into the city's economic system. ### The skeleton near the entrance Excavations near the entrance uncovered the **skeleton of a man carrying a sum of money in coins**. The excavators suggested that this might have been Stephanus himself, caught by the eruption while trying to flee with the proceeds of his business. This reconstruction became famous, but it cannot be proved. No evidence allows a name to be assigned to the skeleton. It is therefore preferable to keep the two archaeological facts separate: a man died near the fullery's entrance with a quantity of money, and Stephanus is the person associated with the business through the inscriptions. **Identifying the two as the same person remains only a hypothesis.** ### The eruption of AD 79 When Vesuvius erupted, the Fullonica of Stephanus was an active establishment within the city's economic fabric. Vats, tools and equipment were still in place, enabling many stages of processing to be reconstructed today. As elsewhere in Pompeii, the destruction was not caused by a lava flow passing through the city. Pompeii was progressively buried by **falling pumice and deposits from the subsequent pyroclastic currents**. The sudden interruption of work preserved a collection of production installations that would normally have been continually altered, repaired or replaced. ### The excavations of 1912–1913 The Fullonica of Stephanus was brought to light between **1912 and 1913**, during the excavations directed by Vittorio Spinazzola along Via dell'Abbondanza. Its exceptional state of preservation immediately revealed the building's significance. Vats, workstations for the fullones, tools and decoration made it possible to reconstruct an activity also known from written and visual sources. The detailed records of objects recovered during excavation later became essential to reassessing the domestic side of the complex as well. ### Restoration The fullery underwent major conservation work as part of the **Grande Progetto Pompei**. This addressed the architecture, wall paintings and floors, with particular attention to the decorative schemes preserved in the former house. The restoration was especially important because very different materials occupy the same space in this building: masonry, water tanks, floors, painted plaster and structures that must withstand constant exposure to the weather. The work made one of the archaeological area's most significant production complexes easier to understand. ### A house where people lived and worked The **Fullonica of Stephanus I.6.7** is particularly valuable because it challenges a simple distinction between a “house” and a “workshop”. The building began as a home and retained a domestic component even when a substantial part of its space was devoted to treating textiles. The front area provided access to the street and accommodated some finishing operations; the atrium retained the house's decoration; at the rear, five workstations and three vats formed the core of the fullery; and the kitchen and other rooms attest to the daily presence of people who lived and worked within the same complex. It is precisely this overlap between **the economy, work, housing and everyday life** that makes the Fullonica of Stephanus one of the most important sources for understanding Pompeian society. ### Further reading [Pompeiiinpictures](http://pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/R1/1%2006%2007%20p1.htm "Pompeii in Pictures") Detailed images of the building ### Further reading [Pompeiiinpictures](https://www.pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/R1/1%2006%2007%20p1.htm) Detailed images of the building ### Video ### Map ![Loading...](https://www.pompeionline.net/components/com_zhosmmap/assets/utils/loading.gif) [View this location on the Pompeii Buildings and Places map](https://www.pompeionline.net/en/buildings-and-places) '+ ' '; var titlePlacemark72300000000000 = "Fullonica of Stephanus I.6.7"; var latlng72300000000000 = L.latLng(40.75031, 14.48921); map\_bounds\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.extend(latlng72300000000000); var contentString72300000000000 = ""; contentString72300000000000 = '' + '### '+ 'Fullonica of Stephanus I.6.7'+ ' '+ ''+ ''+ ' '+ ''+ ''+ ''+ '[![Article](https://www.pompeionline.net/components/com_zhosmmap/assets/utils/article.png)](https://www.pompeionline.net/en/buildings-and-places/regio-i/fullonica-of-stephanus-i-6-7 "Article")'+ ' '+ ' '+ ' '+ ' '; var marker72300000000000 = L.marker(latlng72300000000000, {icon: L.icon({ iconUrl: icoIcon + "pompei-marker-cerchio-blu-bordo-bianco-18.png", iconSize: \[18, 18\], iconAnchor: \[9,18\]}) , draggable: false, title:"Fullonica of Stephanus I.6.7" }); marker72300000000000.addTo(map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map); marker72300000000000.zhomRating = 0; marker72300000000000.zhomCreateddate = ""; marker72300000000000.zhomExtraFieldsList = \[\]; marker72300000000000.zhomCreateddateUser = ""; marker72300000000000.zhomPlacemarkID = 72300000000000; marker72300000000000.zhomContactAttrs = userContactAttrs; marker72300000000000.zhomUserContact = "0"; marker72300000000000.zhomUserUser = "0"; marker72300000000000.zhomOriginalPosition = latlng72300000000000; marker72300000000000.zhomInfowinContent = contentString72300000000000; marker72300000000000.zhomTitle = "Fullonica of Stephanus I.6.7"; marker72300000000000.zhomIncludeInList = 0; marker72300000000000.bindPopup(marker72300000000000.zhomInfowinContent); marker72300000000000.on('click', function(event) { this.openPopup(); }); zhomObjMgr\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.PlacemarkAdd(0, 72300000000000, marker72300000000000, null); map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.setView(latlng72300000000000, map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.getZoom()); latlng\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map = latlng72300000000000; routedestination\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map = latlng\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map; var contentPathString11 = ""; var imgGroundBounds11 = \[ \[40.746791, 14.475589\], \[40.754898, 14.499171\]\]; var imgGroundOptions11 = { opacity:1 , interactive:false }; var imgGroundLayer11 = L.imageOverlay('https://www.pompeionline.net/images/mappe/pompei\_master\_joomla\_v2.svg', imgGroundBounds11, imgGroundOptions11); imgGroundLayer11.zhomPathID = 11; imgGroundLayer11.zhomInfowinContent = contentPathString11; imgGroundLayer11.zhomTitle = "Pompeii site plan – English map"; imgGroundLayer11.addTo(map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map); var geolocationControl = new zhomGeolocationButtonControl("\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map",map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map,2,1,2,"geolocation","Location",16,16,"https://www.pompeionline.net/components/com\_zhosmmap/assets/utils/geolocation.png"); var mapcenterControl = new zhomMapCenterButtonControl(latlng\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map,"19",map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map,2,2,2,"mapcenter","Home",19,16,"https://www.pompeionline.net/components/com\_zhosmmap/assets/utils/home.png"); map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.fitBounds(map\_bounds\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map); var toShowLoading = document.getElementById("OMapsLoading\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map"); toShowLoading.style.display = 'none'; zhomObjMgr\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.InitializeByGroupState(); }; function PlacemarkByIDShow(p\_id, p\_action, p\_zoom) { alert("This feature is supported only when you enable it in map menu item or module property!"); } function findMyPosition\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map(AutoPosition, DirectionsDisplay, DirectionsService, Marker, SearchTravelMode, LocationDestination) { if (navigator.geolocation) { browserSupportFlag = true; navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(function(position) { initialLocation = L.latLng(position.coords.latitude,position.coords.longitude); map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.setView(initialLocation, map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.getZoom()); if (AutoPosition == "Button") { if (typeof geolocation\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map === 'undefined') { geolocation\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map = L.marker(initialLocation, {draggable:false}); geolocation\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.addTo(map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map); } else { geolocation\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.setLatLng(initialLocation); } } }, function() { handleNoGeolocation(browserSupportFlag); }); } else { browserSupportFlag = false; handleNoGeolocation(browserSupportFlag); } }; function handleNoGeolocation(errorFlag) { if (errorFlag == true) { alertContentString = "Error: The Geolocation service failed"; } else { alertContentString = "Error: Your browser doesn't support geolocation"; } popup\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.setLatLng(map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map.getCenter()) .setContent(alertContentString) .openOn(map\_com\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map); }; function initializeZhOMPLG\_ARTICLE\_OVERVIEW723() { initializecom\_content\_article\_723\_0\_8\_map(); }; var tmpJQZhOMPLG\_ARTICLE\_OVERVIEW723 = jQuery.noConflict(); tmpJQZhOMPLG\_ARTICLE\_OVERVIEW723(document).ready(function() {initializeZhOMPLG\_ARTICLE\_OVERVIEW723();}); /\*\]\]>\*/ ## Schema ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.pompeionline.net/en" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Buildings and Places", "item": "https://www.pompeionline.net/en/buildings-and-places" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Regio I", "item": "https://www.pompeionline.net/en/buildings-and-places/regio-i" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Fullonica of Stephanus I.6.7", "item": "https://www.pompeionline.net/en/buildings-and-places/regio-i/fullonica-of-stephanus-i-6-7" } ] } ```