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The Samnite Palaestra stands in the theatre district and takes its name from the period in which it was built, when Pompeii was still a Samnite city. A dedicatory inscription dates its construction to the 2nd century BC.
The building was arranged around a rectangular courtyard, originally surrounded by a portico with tuff columns. The eastern side of the colonnade was later removed during work on the neighbouring Temple of Isis.
A pedestal at the centre of one of the short sides was used during prize-givings and ceremonies. Following a model derived from the Greek world, the palaestra served for the physical training of young people and adults. It communicated directly with the Triangular Forum, where athletic activities could also take place.
The building is best known for the discovery of the marble statue of the Doryphoros, a Roman copy of one of the most important works attributed to the Greek sculptor Polykleitos. Now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, the statue played a fundamental role in modern studies of Greek art.
In 2026, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii devoted a new study to the Doryphoros from the Samnite Palaestra and its relationship to the celebrated Canon of Polykleitos, once again highlighting the exceptional importance of the find for the history of Classical art.