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The Insula of the Chaste Lovers occupies a large part of Regio IX along Via dell’Abbondanza and includes several houses, production areas and a bakery.
The complex takes its name from a painting found in a triclinium, in which a couple are shown exchanging a discreet kiss during a banquet. The insula takes its modern name from the House of the Chaste Lovers, one of the residences within the complex.
Many rooms were undergoing renovation when the eruption occurred. In the so-called House of the Painters at Work, preparatory drawings traced on the walls before the final colours were applied were found still unfinished, their execution abruptly halted in AD 79.
Beside the houses stood a bakery equipped with mills. The remains of the animals used to turn them were also found in the stable connected with the business.
Recent excavation and conservation work has made the insula especially valuable for understanding the work of archaeologists today: new roofs and walkways allow visitors to look down on areas that remain under investigation.
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Further reading
Insula IX.12: plan and photographic index – A plan locating the entrances and buildings, with links to their archaeological photographs.