Regio, Insula and House Numbering

Structure of numbers 

Pompeii has been divided up into Regions or Regio by the archaeologists, based on a methodology devised by Fiorelli in the 1860s. 

Each Regio contains a number of Insula (in this case defined as blocks of houses and shops bounded by roads). 

Each Insula has its individual door entrances numbered. 

We have used this numbering system for this site

Our web site has  a picture of every doorway and detail of the insides of most.

The exception is the tombs, gates, towers, and villas where a shorter number is used.

Regio

There are nine Regio numbered from I to IX using Roman numerals. 

Insula

Each Regio has several Insula numbered from 1 upwards (not in Roman numerals). 

Entrance

Each entrance has a number from 1 upwards or in a few cases a, b, c etc. 

Room or ambiente

A fourth and final part of the numbering gives the room number on archive plans. This is not used on pompeiiinpictures.

The use of the numbering system

This gives us a numbering system for each entrance such as IX.2.10 where this represents the entrance at Regio IX Insula 2 Door 10.

Changes and renumbering

Over the years the numbering has changed as the site has been further excavated.  The original Roman road, house names and numbers are not known. 

Those in use today have evolved in a variety of ways since the site was rediscovered and excavated.

If you are researching old records then you need to make yourself aware of renumbering that has taken place, particularly in areas such as Regio I and Regio II. Something originally found in Regio II.4 in the old records may refer to what is now Regio II.1.

An old entry for II.4.6 may not necessarily be part of the Villa of Julia Felix, but may instead refer to the thermopolium at II.1.6.

House names

Many houses also have names as well as numbers. 

Some have several names and in some cases the same name is used on different houses.

Our web page for IX.2.10 is headed

House names have changed. Some houses or shops are named after possible owners if an artefact such as a seal, or graffiti for example have been found there.

Others are named after paintings or significant discoveries such as a surgeons instruments or architectural features.

Many were named after visiting dignitaries, who sometimes visited several times or to several houses and each house may have the same or a similar name.

You can use the pompeiiinpictures Names Index button on the left of any page to find a name and get a direct link to the house with that name.

Use pompeiiinpictures

We hope pompeiiinpictures will help you find your way around.  There is nothing like visiting Pompeii. Hopefully pompeiiinpictures can help you plan your visit.

There is also a useful plan - Pompeii Plan of Excavations / Pompeii Pianta Scavi, (Autore Dr. Ing. Hans Eschebach) - which you can buy at the Pompeii bookshop when you get there. It cost 11 euros in 2010 and gives much more detail than the free guide plan. Our site Regio, insula and house numbering is based on this plan.

All the numbers on pompeiiinpictures are the same as those on the plan other than a handful of exceptions we found on the ground on our trips.   In those cases we have given both the plan number and what is actually numbered on the doorway.