HOUSE OF THE GILDED CUPIDS-REGIO VI, House Of The Gilded Cupids-Regio Vi - Ai Voice

At the heart of the House of the Golden Cupids lies a Rhodian-style peristyle—an inner garden surrounded by columns on all four sides, with the northern portico taller than the others and topped by a small triangular pediment.

From this courtyard opened the main reception hall, a grand space used to welcome distinguished guests. It was adorned with refined mythological paintings and a mosaic floor featuring a central rosette motif.

The peristyle, however, was more than just a decorative courtyard—it was also a sacred space. On one side stood a lararium, the small shrine devoted to the Lares, the household gods protecting the family and the home. On the other side was a sanctuary in the Egyptian style, with images associated with the cult of the goddess Isis. Among them were Isis, Serapis, Harpocrates, and Anubis, recognizable by his jackal’s head. The presence of these deities reveals how Egyptian religion had become deeply rooted in Pompeii by the 1st century A.D.

The garden also served as a private art gallery, displaying reliefs and sculptures, some of which were authentic Greek originals....