Villa of the Papyri

The Villa of the Papyri

The villa of the papyri was owned by Julius Caesars father in law, Lucius Calpurnius Piso. It was first excavated in 1785 by Karl Weber. The 800 feet long sea side villa had four levels and was the most luxurious house in all of Herculaneum and Pompeii. It was complete with swimming pools, fountains and water features. This enormous private villa also contained a library which house 1,800 carbonised scrolls. Many of these were by the Philosopher Philodemus who lived in the 1st Century BC.The villa of the Papyri is said to contain a second library full of papyrus scrolls. The villa of the papyri also housed the largest collection of privately owned sculptural art. The house contained 80 sculptures of magnificent quality and craftsmanship. Lucius Piso was a highly educated man and was a patron for both philosophers and poets.There is still 30,000 square feet left to be excavated of this grande estate.