Villa dei Misteri

Pompei, Italy

The Villa of the Mysteries (Villa dei Misteri) is a well-preserved suburban Roman villa on the outskirts of Pompeii, southern Italy, famous for the series of frescos in one room, which are usually thought to show the initiation of a young woman into a Greco-Roman mystery cult. These are now probably the best known of the relatively rare survivals of Ancient Roman painting. Like the rest of the Roman city of Pompeii, the villa was buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 and excavated from 1909 onwards (long after much of the main city). It is now a popular part of tourist visits to Pompeii, and forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Pompeii.

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Founded: 0-100 AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Italy

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4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Debbie Wright (11 months ago)
Stunningly beautiful frescoes on the walls of the Villa dei Misteri. If you go on the first Sunday of the month, it is free admission.
Hoosieronthemove (13 months ago)
If you’re visiting Pompeii, make sure you visit the villa! I almost would have missed it if I hadn’t looked at the map and saw the necropolis was on the way. It is actually a little confusing because signs say exit and there’s a guard shack, but just keep going and then you’ll find the villa. The paintings on the walls are absolutely breathtaking, so make sure to carve out at least 30 mins to make the walk up here to check them out.
Pourhouse Woodwork (15 months ago)
Huge expansive archeological site to explore. I recommend a guise of some sort to help explain some things that would otherwise be missed. Very interesting experience of life 2,000 years ago.
Irene Bonet (2 years ago)
Pompeii is an amazing place but you need to take into account two things: 1. There’s almost no shade so if you want to spend the day there go to the gardens with trees or have a good amount on sunscreen if it’s not cloudy or winter. 2. The villas (which are the best) have a schedule so hurry up and visit them first. They close at 6pm. 3. The other places like the small anfiteatre or the big arena are always open as well as the other villas or garden areas. 4. Do not get overwhelmed. I would say 3-4h is a good timing to see everything at a good pace. If you are not interested in seeing everything you can just skip and go to the most interesting areas. 5. Enjoy and have some water with you!
Joao Silva (2 years ago)
Part of the Pompeii ruins (scavi), the frescoes are amazing. The preservation is just astonishing. As it is on one of the extremities, you can leave the "park" through here and then it's just a small walk to the train station.
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