
A large and sophisticated thermal bath complex, believed to have been used by its owner to impress wealthy guests, has been discovered among the ruins of ancient Pompeii.
The baths were found during excavations of a house in Via di Nola in Regio IX, a wealthy area of the city before it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The home spa is one of the largest of its kind ever found in the Pompeii archaeological park in southern Italy.
The complex was connected to an elegant banqueting hall filled with frescoes depicting characters inspired by the Trojan War, which were unearthed last year, and experts have concluded that the residence, believed to have belonged to one of Pompeii's elite, was used as a stage to confirm its owner's social status or even support his candidacy in elections.
"This is an example of how the Roman domus served as a stage for an art and culture show that the owner staged to win votes or the goodwill of the guests," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii archaeological park.
The spa complex was equipped to accommodate up to 30 people, moving between three pools: caldarium (hot), tepidarium (warm) and frigidarium (cold). Experts said the cold room, with a courtyard with a columned entrance, was particularly impressive.
It is believed that the baths provided guests with a chance to relax after sumptuous feasts. “Everything was functional for the staging of a ‘show’ with the owner at the center,” Zuchtriegel said.
The banqueting hall is known as the Black Room because of the color of its walls, which were probably designed to mask the smoke from burning oil lamps. The walls are decorated with artwork depicting legendary Greek characters, including one where Helen of Troy first meets the Trojan prince Paris.
The room also opens onto a courtyard, where a long staircase leads to the property’s first floor. The arches of the staircase contain a charcoal drawing of two pairs of gladiators and what archaeologists say looks like “an enormous stylized phallus.”