Location of the House (Ins VI, 16-18, 27-27) .. View of Cardo III looking north, with the House of the Tuscan Colonnade on the right of the photograph Plan of the House .. ...................Plan of the House Key: A. Atrium B. Tablinum C. Triclinium D. Peristyle Description This house, a fine patrician villa, was built of large tufa blocks during the Samnite period. It was considerably modified after the earthquake, when two of its street facing rooms (on the Decumanus Maximus) were turned into shops. .. // .. The simple entrance, set between shops on the Decumanus Maximus opens onto a fairly square atrium (A) (pictured above). At the rear of the atrium is the tablinum (B) which still retains some of its original fresco decoration (in the background of the picture above). To the right of the tablinum a passage leads to an impressive peristyle (D) (pictured left) around which runs the Tuscan order colonnade after which the building was named. The triclinium (C), several drawing rooms and the owner's living quarters radiate off the peristyle. Third and fourth style paintings adorned the walls. A second entrance on Cardo III (above left) leads directly the colonnade via a long passage off which several rooms feed. A treasure in gold coins (to the value of 1400 sesterces) came to light during the excavations - evidently the owner had tried to conceal his savings before attempting to escape from the eruption.

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