House of Julia Felix

[6] The House of Julia Felix was a combination of indoor and outdoor areas built around atria, courtyards into which the main rooms opened, with enclosed gardens and private water supply;[8] Sections of the praedia allowed for indoor and outdoor seating with frescoes depicting landscapes of leisure and gardens.

The tablinum facing onto the large garden to the east must have been spectacular with its particularly fine paintings, Fourth-Style frescoes consisting of dados painted with green plants on a black background, a central zone of red and yellow panels with villas, sanctuaries and flying figures with a set of Apollo and the Muses and another with a frieze of still-life panels.

The dining room was elegant and welcoming and like those of the wealthiest citizens of Pompeii who owned villas in the countryside and on the coast[6] and overlooked the gardens that incorporated small pools and waterfalls.

Fortunately Weber drew a plan of the building, labelling where objects or paintings had been removed, which is priceless for reconstructing today the details of the decoration.

Parts of the villa revealed during the first excavation were a taberna, luxurious baths, and richly decorated formal garden dining rooms.