The House of the Dioscuri is one of the largest and most sumptuous residences in 1st-century AD Pompeii. Its complex arrangement reflects successive alterations and the incorporation of several residential sectors.
The house has two atria linked by an elegant Rhodian peristyle, whose northern portico was higher than the others. At its centre was a deep basin used to create dramatic water displays.
The principal atrium was surrounded by twelve tuff columns and provided access to reception and banqueting rooms. The second atrium was connected mainly with service areas and private rooms.
The painted decoration was especially lavish. Small panels of Castor and Pollux—the Dioscuri—near the entrance gave the house its modern name. The originals, together with many of the most important paintings from the domus, are now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples; copies have been installed in situ.
Research has attributed the paintings to the same workshop that decorated the nearby House of the Vettii, confirming the exceptionally high standard achieved in this residence during Pompeii’s final years.
