The House of the Outdoor Triclinium, also known as the House of the Summer Triclinium, opens onto Via di Nocera behind the Large Palaestra. Its plan reflects both the limited space available along the street and the incorporation of several originally separate units. Beyond these rooms lies a substantial garden, where cultivation and outdoor dining were combined.
The feature that gives the house its name is the summer dining area. Roman diners reclined on couches around a shared table; permanent masonry couches allowed this arrangement to be recreated outdoors. Here the setting was enriched by two matching fountains, each built as a niche and decorated with glass-paste mosaic, pumice and shells. The contrast between glittering glass and rough, cavern-like surfaces made water part of the decoration.
The garden also preserves evidence of an ancient vineyard. Cavities left by decayed roots enabled the planting pattern to be studied, and modern vines were subsequently planted in relation to casts of the ancient roots. The vineyard visible in the reconstructed setting is therefore a modern interpretation based on archaeological evidence, not a surviving ancient plantation.
This mixture of vines, water and dining furniture is particularly characteristic of the spacious properties in this part of Pompeii. The outdoor triclinium was more than an ornamental feature: it provided a place for meals in a cultivated landscape. Its fountains distinguish the dining area from the surrounding ground and help explain how the owners turned a working garden into a setting for hospitality.
Excavation took place in 1933 and 1954–1955. The most useful features to recognise are the irregular arrangement of the rooms, the transition into the vineyard and the paired fountain niches. Their materials and relationship to the dining couches explain the house more clearly than the modern name alone.
Opening of the house and garden is subject to the Park’s current arrangements. Consult the official list of open buildings and follow the route indicated on site. Check official building openings.
Archaeological Park of Pompeii: official site guide.
View this location on the Pompeii Buildings and Places map