Pompeii's Erotic Art Locked Away for 200 Years
The Secret Museum in Naples reopens erotic artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum, long hidden from public view. Excavated in the 18th century, the cities preserved by Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 CE contained numerous phallic images, frescoes, and household items with sexual themes. These were deemed obscene and locked away for nearly 200 years. The collection includes frescoes from the Lupanar brothel, which had 10 rooms, and paintings from the Suburban Baths depicting sexual acts, possibly serving as advertisements or decoration. Phalluses were common as symbols of fertility or wards against evil. The museum has been repeatedly opened and closed over the centuries.
Key facts
- Erotic artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum were locked away for nearly 200 years.
- The Secret Museum is part of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
- Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, preserving Pompeii and Herculaneum.
- Excavations began in the 18th century.
- Phalluses were used as wards against the evil eye.
- The Lupanar brothel had 10 rooms, a balcony, and a latrine.
- Frescoes from the Suburban Baths were excavated in the early 1980s.
- Sex workers earned more than three times the wages of unskilled laborers.
Entities
Institutions
- National Archaeological Museum
- Secret Museum
Locations
- Pompeii
- Herculaneum
- Naples
- Italy
- Mount Vesuvius
- Suburban Baths
- Lupanar