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Being a woman in ancient Pompeii.

What did it mean to be a woman in Pompeii? The Campanian city and its extraordinary state of preservation offers us a wealth of evidence to learn about aspects of daily life of women and the position they occupied in the Roman home and in society. Frescoes, private and funerary portraits, graffiti, inscriptions, and possessions offer us valuable information about the life and activities of a female universe that was fundamental to the smooth functioning of the community. All social classes of women are documented: matrons, freedwomen, slaves; all family roles: wives, daughters, concubines; and all stages of life: birth, childhood, marriage, motherhood, death.
To this complex and multifaceted female world, is dedicated the new exhibition “Being a Woman in Ancient Pompeii,” Palestra Grande in Pompeii from 16th April 2025 to 31st January 2026

By downloading the map (click here) it is also possible to follow an itinerary connected to the world of women by discovering the stories and places related to 8 women of ancient Pompeii, with further insights available on our MyPompeii app.