The House of the Anchor, overlooking Via di Mercurio, takes its name from a mosaic of an anchor at the entrance.
The most original feature of the residence is the two-level arrangement at the rear. The upper level centred on a large terrace overlooked by three reception rooms. Far below lay the garden, surrounded by a roofed portico supported on pillars. This arrangement gave the upper rooms a dramatic view over the greenery beneath.
One arm of the portico contained a large aedicula with two rudders and an altar, interpreted as a small sanctuary devoted to the cult of Venus.
The House of the Anchor was brought to light mainly between 1826 and 1829 and is one of the most distinctive examples of Pompeian domestic architecture adapted to the contours of the terrain.
