The prostitutes in the brothel were mostly Greek and Oriental slaves who were paid between two and eight Asses (a glass of wine cost one Ass) for their services.

The building has two floors. The homes of the owner and the slaves are at the top and there are five rooms at the bottom, all fitted with a built-in bed, on both sides of the corridor that connects the two entrances of the ground floor. The rooms were closed by a curtain. A latrine is seen at the end of the corridor, under the staircase.

Small paintings with erotic depictions on the walls of the central corridor informed customers of the activities that took place within the Lupanare.
The brothel is named from lupa, a Latin word meaning 'prostitute'.

Date of excavation: 1862.

(entrance from Vicolo del Lupanare - exit from Vicolo del Balcone Pensile)