Villa Poppaea

The Villa Poppaea is an ancient luxurious Roman seaside villa located in Torre Annunziata between Naples and Sorrento [1]. It is also called the Villa Oplontis or Oplontis Villa A as it was situated in the ancient Roman town of Oplontis while Oplontis Villa B was discovered nearby in 1973 [1]. It was buried and preserved in the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, like the nearby cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii, about 10 m below modern ground level [1]. The villa was first built in the 50s BC and then expanded in stages [1]. The villa was extended to the east in the age of Claudius with the addition of a large swimming pool [1]. Some 40 marble sculptures were found, forming one of the most extensive collections of statues, busts and other marble ornaments known in the entire region [1]. The Villa's earliest frescoes are some of the best examples of the illusionistic Second Style, while later renovations and additions are marked by high-quality paintings of the Third and Fourth Styles [1]. Official excavations were done from 1964 until the mid-1980s [1].