Oct. 27, 2006 — Pompeii's ancient and richly decorated brothel reopened its doors to the public on Friday, following a restoration that repaired the multiple-bedroom structure and cleaned up its sexually graphic frescos.
The Lupanare — so called because "Lupa" for "she-wolf" was the Latin term for a prostitute who would howl to signal customers — is expected to become one of the top destinations among visitors touring the ancient city’s ruins.
Pompeii was destroyed nearly 2,000 years ago when a massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the city and the nearby towns of Herculaneum and Stabiae in up to 20 feet of hot ash and pumice.
The new exhibit, which opened following a yearlong, $253,000 restoration, offers a window into the erotic life that once flourished in the city.
"Opportunities for sexual encounters abounded in Pompeii, but the Lupanare was a unique place," said Pietro Giovanni Guzzo, superintendent of Pompeii. "It was the only building in the city specifically designed to be a brothel. Here prostitution was practiced according to Roman law: prostitutes were not allowed to choose their clients."
The two-story Lupanare was conveniently located in a central location at the junction of two side streets. It consisted of 10 rooms, five on each floor, and a latrine beneath the stairs. Stone beds covered with mattresses accommodated the prostitutes and their clients.
Wealthier clients used the upper floor, which had a separate entrance, a balcony and was richly decorated with frescoes that leave little to the imagination.
Prices were posted outside the building, while the skills and names of the prostitutes were carved on the walls.
According to the graffiti found in the building, women working in the brothel included Myrtis, Callidrome, Cressa, Drauca, Fabia, Faustilla, Felicia, Fortunata, Helpis, Mula, Nica, Restituta, Rusatia and Ianuaria.
