---
title: "Samnite Palaestra VIII.7.29 - Pompeii Online"
description: "A 2nd-century BC palaestra in Pompeii’s theatre district, famous for the discovery of the Doryphoros."
url: "https://www.pompeionline.net/en/buildings-and-places/regio-viii/samnite-palaestra-viii-7-29"
date: "2026-09-17T14:00:49+00:00"
language: "en-GB"
---

#  Samnite Palaestra VIII.7.29

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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.

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