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The House of Leda and the Swan takes its name from the exceptional fresco discovered in 2018 in a cubiculum, or bedroom, during work to stabilise the excavation fronts in Regio V.
The painting depicts the myth of Leda and the Swan: Jupiter, transformed into a swan, is shown with Leda, wife of Tyndareus, king of Sparta. The scene is distinguished by the refinement of its execution and by the unusual pose of the female figure, who looks directly at the viewer.
Subsequent archaeological investigations have greatly expanded knowledge of the house. Two cubicula flanked the entrance, one of which preserves the fresco of Leda. Excavations also brought to light the tablinum, a corridor providing access to the service quarters, and other rooms connected with the atrium.
The decoration belongs predominantly to the Fourth Pompeian Style. The atrium features red and yellow panels, painted architectural elements, and small mythological pictures, including a representation of Narcissus. In the cubicula and tablinum, pale backgrounds predominate, enriched with birds, trees, seascapes, and fantastic animals.
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Further reading
Scavo e restauro della Casa di Leda – Regio V, 6. Nuovi rinvenimenti – the 2023 excavation report on newly explored rooms, adjoining properties and protection of the wall paintings (in Italian).