.. ......Plan of the House

Key: A. Entrance B. Atrium C. Courtyard D. Tablinum

Description

The House of the Beautiful Courtyard has an rather unusual layout, more akin to an Italian medieval building than a first century one. The entrance (A) opens directly onto a long, low ceilinged room (B) which serves both as a vestibule and atrium. Off it to the right are three small rooms, while, facing the entrance, is an interior courtyard (C). .. .. The courtyard, pictured below right, is raised above the level of the vestibule and connects to the tablinum (D) to the south. The courtyard also contains a staircase, resembling, with its parapet and landing, typical examples of medieval civic architecture. ..

.. .. .. The tablinum to the south of the courtyard is a large rectangular room with an intricate mosaic floor, the border of which is pictured left. The decoration of this room, as well as the majority of the ground floor of the house is mainly in the fourth style, but there are traces of second style decoration, especially at the entrance and in the area to north of the courtyard. The four upstairs rooms connect via the staircase landing and by a wooden balcony which protruded from the front of the house. In the these rooms are some frescoes painted in the fourth Style.

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