The House with Bakery of Aulus Rustius Verus faces Via di Nola and occupies the north-western part of Insula 10 in Regio IX. Partly explored in the late nineteenth century, it has been excavated again since 2023 during work to secure and reorganise the excavation fronts.
The earliest layout dates from the late third to the early second century BC and retained the traditional sequence of entrance, atrium and tablinum. Over time, however, a substantial part of the house was converted into a bread-production facility.
The bakery comprised an oven, areas for mills, rooms used in food preparation, grain stores and a stable. Investigations have shown that the productive complex belonged mainly to a reconstruction undertaken after the earthquake of AD 62 and that it also had its own connection to the water supply.
The arrangement of the milling area and stable is especially significant. Excavation has revealed enclosed spaces and routes designed to control the movement of the animals and the people engaged in grinding, offering unusually direct evidence of the harsh working conditions associated with bread production.
Electoral inscriptions supporting Aulus Rustius Verus, a prominent figure in Pompeian politics, were also found in the house, while his initials appear on components of the mills. This evidence enabled archaeologists to associate the production complex with him.
Excavators also found the remains of three victims of the eruption—two adults and a child—who were struck by the collapse of parts of the building during the first stages of the disaster.
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Further reading
La ierogamia di Dioniso e Arianna: dallo scavo all’esposizione – A conservation report on the reconstruction and display of the painted vault recovered from the house.
House with Bakery IX.10.1 – Pompeii in Pictures – Photographic documentation and excavation records of the residence and production areas.