The House of Sulpicius Rufus looks out over the southern side of Via di Nola.
The house takes its name from a seal that was found within the dwelling, which bears the name of C. Sulpicius Rufus. It is also known as the ‘House of the Piglet’, on account of the painting of the head of a pig which was found on the northern wall of the kitchen. The entrance opens onto the east side of the street, and has lost much of its original plasterwork; a small latrine and two cubicula are situated on the northern side of the entrance. These rooms, however, bear traces of the original plasterwork. The entrance leads directly to a small peristyle, with a central garden surrounded by a low wall. On the northern wall we find a painted lararium featuring two Lares either side of an altar, around which a serpent is coiled. Next to the lararium, above the end of the kitchen hearth is an unusual depiction of food items ready to be cooked, including hanging sausages, a pig’s head, an eel and portions of skewered meat.

Date of excavation: 1880 - 1887