Scavi archeologici di Stabia – Villa Arianna e Villa San Marco

About the museum

Stabiae was a town on the coast of the Bay of Naples, destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. On the Varano hill, overlooking the sea, stood luxurious residential villas of the Roman aristocracy, some of which can now be visited in the Parco archeologico di Pompei.

Villa Arianna takes its name from a large mythological painting on the back wall of the triclinium (dining room), and is the oldest of the villas open to the public. It was almost entirely excavated between 1757 and 1762 under the direction of the Swiss engineer Karl Weber; the best-preserved frescoes and furnishings were detached and taken to museums.

Villa San Marco takes its name from an 18th-century chapel. It is a residential villa in a panoramic position on the edge of the hill, explored under the Bourbons between 1749 and 1754 and systematically excavated again between 1950 and 1962. The original layout dates back to the first decades of the Augustan age and was modified in the Claudian period; the area covers more than 11,000 square metres.

Highlights

• Villa Arianna, the oldest of the villas open to the public, with its frescoed triclinium
• Villa San Marco, a large residential villa of 11,000 square metres in a panoramic position
• Free admission to both villas
• Views over the Bay of Naples

Permanent exhibition

• Villa Arianna e Villa San Marco – Route through the two Roman villas of Stabiae with frescoed rooms, baths and gardens.

Operated by

Parco archeologico di Pompei

Visitors per year

approx. 52,033

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to Villa Arianna and Villa San Marco is free. The Pompei Plus ticket (€30, valid for three days) also includes Oplontis and the Museo archeologico di Stabia.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

By car: take the Castellammare di Stabia exit of the A3 Naples–Salerno motorway, then the SS145 towards Gragnano and via Passeggiata archeologica. A shuttle service, Pompeii Artebus, connects the sites.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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Plan your visit