House of Julia Felix, Pompeii

The House of Julia Felix, also referred to as the praedia of Julia Felix, is a large Roman property on the Via dell'Abbondanza in the city of Pompeii [1]. It was originally the residence of Julia Felix, who converted portions of it to apartments available for rent and other parts for public use after the major earthquake in 62 AD, a precursor to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD that destroyed Pompeii [1]. Julia Felix's property took up an entire insula, or block of land, at the height of her ownership and business [1]. The House of Julia Felix was a combination of indoor and outdoor areas built around atria, courtyards into which the main rooms opened [1]. Many of the frescoes within the House of Julia Felix depicted small-time merchants and the lifestyles of every day Pompeians [1]. Between 1998–1999 some of the most important discoveries were made; a nymphaeum or grotto of nymphs with a water-stair fountain and triclinium was a modification after the earthquake of 62 AD [1].