Vetuzio Placido’s thermopolium in Pompeii was completely buried along with the rest of the ancient city during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.
This catastrophic eruption lasted approximately three days and covered Pompeii, first with three meters of ash and lapilli and then with the arrival of a violent pyroclastic flow. The city was completely submerged and remained buried until 1748 when, at the behest of Charles III of Bourbon, the first excavations began in Pompeii.
The first remains of the thermopolium of Vetuzio Placido, on the other hand, were only brought to light in 1912, and the excavations lasted several years.
What is a thermopolium?
But what does thermopolium mean? The word derives from Greek and literally means “hot drink shop.” In fact, at a thermopolium, it was possible to buy ready-made, hot food and drinks—in short, a sort of fast food restaurant of today.
It was one of the busiest places in ancient Pompeii, where the Pompeians could buy fish, meat, and vegetable soups, as well as eggs, dried fruit, olives, and wine. In short, not only hot food but also cold food of all kinds.
Thermopolium of Vetuzio Placido: where it is located
The thermopolium of Vetuzio Placido is located in Regio I, insula VIII, precisely along Via dell’Abbondanza, opposite the Insula dei Casti Amanti.
It consisted of a shop, a back room, and a house most likely owned by Vetutius Placidus and his partner Ascula. These names were found several times in the graffiti in the house. In particular, the name Vetutius was repeated in numerous election programs and on wine amphorae found inside.
The shop was characterized by a large masonry counter covered with marble of various colors arranged in a geometric pattern, with numerous terracotta amphorae (dolia) inside, in which the finished products were stored.
A series of recesses of various sizes were found on the same counter. These were probably used by the owner to check the validity of the coins in use at the time (in short, to distinguish real coins from fake ones).
At the back of the room, on the south wall, a fresco depicting a lararium shrine with columns and a stucco tympanum was found in perfect condition.
Dedicated to the guardian gods of the house (Lares), the guardian genius of the owner (in the center of the painting), the god of commerce (Mercury), and the god of wine (Dionysus).
The lower part depicted snakes, considered bringers of prosperity and abundance. They are still perfectly visible today.
Discoveries made in the thermopolium
The thermopolium of Vetuzio Placido in Pompeii has become famous not only for its perfect state of preservation. But also for the exceptional discovery inside a terracotta amphora of 374 coins and 1,237 quadrants.
These were small coins, with a total value of 170 sesterces, which probably represented the owner’s entire day’s takings. He kept them inside the amphora during the catastrophic eruption, hoping to return soon, but this was not to be.
