Massive private bath complex unearthed in Pompeii's Regio IX

A large private bath complex has been discovered in a domus in the Regio IX area of Pompeii, during ongoing excavations in insula 10. The complex includes a calidarium, tepidarium, frigidarium, and apodyterium, and could accommodate up to thirty people, as indicated by benches in the changing room. The frigidarium features a peristyle with a 10×10 meter portico surrounding a large pool. The baths are adjacent to a banquet hall, reflecting the Roman custom of bathing before feasting, as described in Petronius' Satyricon. The domus likely belonged to a prominent local figure, evidenced by Second and Third Style wall paintings. Director Gabriel Zuchtriegel noted that the Third Style paintings depicting Trojan War subjects and athletes in the peristyle were intended to create a Greek atmosphere of culture and leisure. The excavation employed an innovative approach to preserve the colonnade. Future restoration will secure the area. The discovery adds to the regular stream of significant finds at the Pompeii Archaeological Park, which recently introduced a daily visitor cap of 20,000.