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The House of the Cornelii, also known as the Domus Cornelia or House of Cornelius Rufus, faces Via Stabiana and has a regular layout arranged around an atrium.
A marble impluvium stands at the centre of the atrium. An elegant marble table supported by feline legs once stood on its rim. One of the house’s best-known furnishings, it was frequently depicted in 19th-century images and paintings of Pompeii.
A large peristyle with Doric columns opens at the rear, surrounded by rooms used for private life and reception.
The house was especially famous in the 19th century because a rich collection of sculptures found during the excavations was displayed inside it. Many of these works were later moved and are now kept in the archaeological storerooms of the Granaries of the Forum.
A marble portrait bust of Caius Cornelius Rufus, inscribed with his name, was also found near the atrium. The portrait is now displayed in the Antiquarium of Pompeii.
This discovery traditionally led scholars to identify Cornelius Rufus as the owner of the house. It is more prudent, however, to regard the connection with the Cornelii as highly probable but not fully demonstrated, since the portrait alone cannot establish who occupied the house in AD 79.