The House of the Hanging Balcony, at doorway 28 in Insula 12 of Regio VII, takes its name from the distinctive upper-storey structure that projected over the alley. The domus was brought to light in 1863 and provides particularly valuable evidence for the multi-storey architecture of ancient Pompeii.
A long vestibule led from the entrance to an atrium, the centre of the main part of the house. A viridarium opened on the western side, while a large room at the rear occupied almost half of the available area. Some floors retained opus signinum decoration and an emblem in opus sectile.
The house’s best-known feature, however, was its upper storey overlooking the Vicolo del Balcone Pensile. A staircase gave access to this level, where a timber structure projected above the street. Historical restorations attempted to reconstruct the balcony’s appearance from the elements discovered during excavation.
The presence of upper floors and structures suspended above Pompeii’s narrow streets is a reminder that the city of AD 79 developed vertically to a far greater extent than the walls now surviving at street level might suggest.
