Villa di Poppea a Oplontis
Large Roman villa of leisure (otium) buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD, with Second Style frescoes, gardens, baths and a large pool; UNESCO site.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Villa di Poppea, also called Villa A, stands at Oplontis, in today's Torre Annunziata, and is the only building on the site open to the public today. It was built in the mid-1st century BC and enlarged in the imperial age; an inscription on an amphora led to its attribution to Poppaea Sabina, Nero's second wife, or to her family, although ownership is uncertain. At the time of the eruption of 79 AD it was probably uninhabited, perhaps under restoration after the earthquake of 62.
The villa, designed for leisure (otium), is arranged in several sectors and has not yet been entirely excavated. It includes an atrium with Second Style decorations, a bath quarter, large gardens with plaster casts of trees and a large pool of about 61 × 17 metres. The walls preserve painted architecture, a still life with a basket of figs, peacocks and theatre masks; in the calidarium appears the myth of Hercules in the garden of the Hesperides.
The first excavations date from the 18th century, with Francesco La Vega, and were interrupted because of the unhealthy air; investigations in 1839 brought to light a peristyle and a fountain, and systematic excavations resumed in the 1960s. Since 1997 Oplontis has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage together with Pompeii and Herculaneum, and it is managed by the Parco archeologico di Pompei. The nearby Villa B, of Lucius Crassius Tertius, cannot be visited.
Highlights
- Atrium and rooms with Second Style frescoes
- Calidarium with the myth of Hercules in the garden of the Hesperides
- Still life with a basket of figs and peacocks
- Large pool of about 61 × 17 metres
- Gardens with plaster casts of trees and bath quarter
- Operated by
- Parco archeologico di Pompei (Ministero della Cultura)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 50,957 (2023)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2EU citizens aged 18 to 25 and non-EU citizens with residence permits in the cases provided for by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
| Pompeii Plus (Pompeii, Oplontis, Villa Arianna, Villa San Marco, Museo di Stabia + shuttle) | €30Valid for 3 days, one entrance per site. Reduced €2. |
| All sites of the park + shuttle | €45Valid for one year from first validation. Reduced €10. |
Free admission: Free admission on the first Sunday of every month.
Single ticket for Oplontis, Boscoreale or the Museo di Stabia: €8 (prices in force from 12 January 2026). Named tickets, purchasable online through Vivaticket.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description: no information
Within the “Museo per Tutti” (Museum for All) project, the park provides downloadable guides for people with intellectual disabilities (also in AAC version), dedicated to Oplontis. Accessibility information: infopoint +39 081 857 5347.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Oplontis (Villa di Poppea), fermata della navetta Artebus
Free shuttle Pompeii Artebus (line 2) from Pompeii, Piazza Esedra, to the Villa di Poppea at Oplontis–Torre Annunziata, while places last: departures at 9:30, 10:30, 11:30 and 12:30, then after a 45-minute break at 14:15, 15:15 and 16:15 (in summer also at 17:15 and 18:15); the shuttle does not run on Tuesdays.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | A PDF guide to the site is available on the park's website. |
|---|
