Pompeii’s Silver Wedding House was buried during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. only to be unearthed several centuries later, specifically in 1891.
For three days Vesuvius continuously erupted ash and lapilli invading the streets and houses of ancient Pompeii, only to be hit by a very powerful pyroclastic flow. That solidified the volcanic materials erupted over Pompeii and causing the few inhabitants who survived the lapilli fall to die of asphyxiation.
The Silver Wedding house was also affected by the falling volcanic rocks. That caused some of the columns supporting the atrium and part of the perimeter walls to collapse.
Excavation work in the ancient city of Pompeii began in 1748, but the Silver Wedding house was not found until 1891.
Why the house is called the Silver Wedding
The Silver Wedding house stands in Regio V, Insula 2 and belonged to a wealthy member of the Pompeian aristocracy. According to an inscription found on some objects the house last belonged to Lucius Albucius Celsus.
The house was so named in honor of the Silver Wedding that was celebrated right inside the domus between King Umberto I and Margaret of Savoy in 1893.
The fact that it belonged to wealthy members of the Pompeian aristocracy was clear from the outset. Because of the value and majesty with which the rooms were built, Corinthian-style columns, refined frescoes, large and high spaces.
In short, only wealthy members of Pompeian families could have belonged to this domus.
How it was structured
The Silver Wedding House was precious, refined and majestic, one of the most beautiful in all of Pompeii. It had two atria, one of which had an eastern garden and another with a cenacle on the second floor, which today belongs to the cenacle house.
The very high atrium consisted of four large Corinthian-style columns that supported the roof of the house and was frescoed with precious paintings.
The house also had a huge peristyle with columns of different heights, overlooking a beautiful garden.
Both the atrium and the peristyle were completely paved with a black mosaic with white tiles.
To top it all off, the domus possessed a private bathing quarter with heatable tubs, created by connecting the aqueduct of Pompeii with that of Serino.
The house of the Silver Wedding was renovated several times, the stupendous paintings on the walls were revisited, which went from the original first Pompeian style, to the second and then to the third.
But one of the last owners decided to make new changes, incorporating within them the refined and precious fourth style.
But not only that, also the connection to the Serinese aqueduct led to the creation of a refined fountain and several water features within the garden. That made this stupendous dwelling even more precious.
