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The House of Queen Carolina, in Regio VIII of Pompeii just south of the Forum, is a high-status residence named after Caroline Bonaparte Murat, Queen of Naples and a supporter of the Pompeii excavations in the early 19th century. The house was explored in several campaigns beginning in 1809 and was also recorded by the architect François Mazois.
The residence was arranged around an atrium with an impluvium, which provided access to the living and reception rooms. One of its most interesting features was the large garden, now the focus of new archaeological research intended to reconstruct its vegetation, cultivation methods and everyday use by the occupants.
Modern excavations have identified root cavities, planting pits and perforated pots used for cultivation in the garden soil. These traces allow archaeologists to study not only the garden’s decorative appearance, but also the work required to maintain it and the role of green spaces in Roman domestic life.
Research has also shown that the layout of the property changed profoundly over time: before the large garden was created, the area probably contained two or perhaps three separate houses. In AD 79, the House of Queen Carolina was also connected to the adjoining property VIII.3.15, which is likewise the subject of recent research.
The house is especially important because new excavation campaigns, conducted using modern archaeological techniques, allow scholars to re-examine a building first uncovered when recording methods were very different from those used today. The project is therefore providing new information on the transformation of Pompeian houses and the daily lives of their occupants.