Researchers have discovered the true origins of a mosaic panel of an intimate domestic scene that was looted by a Nazi officer in Italy during World War II and recently returned to Pompeii’s archaeological park. Spoiler: It never had anything to do with Pompeii and its surroundings.
Made in undulating opus vermiculatum Technique, the mosaic panel depicts a semi-nude man reclining on a sofa, holding up a drapery draped over his legs. In front of him stands a half-naked woman who has only a Strophem (bandeau choli) and a yellow cloak that falls to her knees. His sandals are placed on bronze feet with tiger paw feet. She reaches for the raised cover as if to raise it so she can join the man. It is a charming scene, the beginning of an intimate meeting, set in a private bedroom or The cubicalum. The style and form of the panel dates from between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD when such domestic scenes gained popularity over the heroic mythological scenes favored in the Hellenistic period.
Its provenance was unknown because the Wehrmacht captain in charge of military supplies in Italy in 1943/4 gave it to a friend after returning to Germany. The descendants of this friend knew nothing of its history, but realized that it should have been looted and decided to hand it over to the Italian nation.
A number of mosaics comparable in style and technique – meticulously executed opus vermiculatum mosaics on travertine slabs that were originally the focus of large floor mosaics – have been found in the area around Vesuvius, including in the luxury villas of Stabia. They are now in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, so the Ministry of Culture decided to assign the panel to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.
Park conducted multidisciplinary analyzes of the panel and found evidence indicating that it was manufactured in Latium and then sold outside the region. Mosaic workshops (Museuri) created these highly detailed signs (central panels) using small polychrome tesserae of only 1-3 mm square. Small tiles laid out in unbroken, wavy lines were essentially the primitive equivalent of pixel art. The idea was to create the color smoothness of painting in hard floors.
The mosaic was mounted inside a travertine slab cut a few centimeters deep from the surface. The mortar was spread in the recess and then the tessera set in the mortar. This allowed workshops to commercialize their work on a large scale, creating prefabricated inlets that could be safely shipped far and wide for on-site installation.
The smoking gun was a lucky encounter in narrowing down its origins when a mosaic sent back to 2025 was presented to the press. One of the archaeologists attending the presentation, Giulia D’Angelo, is from the Le Marche region and brought insight from her hometown that proved essential to solving my problem.
The mosaic comes from a Roman villa in Rocca di Moro, a village on the outskirts of Folignano in Le Marche. We know it for a fact because there are written records of it dating back to the 18th century. The first attestation dates back to 1790 when Baldasare Orsini described it among the antiquities of the Marquis Federico Malaspina in his palace at Scolli Pacino. Eight decades later, in about 1868, the artist and archaeologist Giulio Gabrieli (1832–1910) sketched it and took notes on its subject and discovery site. The sketch was from memory, not from life, as there are some errors. He interprets the scene as the man offering the woman a bag of money in exchange for sexual favors, mistaking the lifted cover as a money bag.
Gabrieli also documented the history of his ownership in an informal rather than literal sense. wrote that it was found on an estate of the Malaspina family in Rocca di Moro. The Malaspina family sold the mosaic at auction, after which it passed to a “conman” and then to Giovanni Tranquilli, a silkworm trader from Scolì Pacino. He mentions one last owner, the Silvestri family.
The last reference to a mosaic found in the documentary record comes from the Archive of Consultation of the National Archaeological Museum of Milan. It records an attempt by one Lucia Silvestri to sell the mosaic.
“Great teamwork, reconstructing history is the work of a team, and this is an example of how dedication, professionalism and passion lead to unexpected discoveries to understand and enhance the classical heritage not only in Pompeii, but throughout the peninsula.” “Thanks to the latest research, a special Lazio production has come to light with precious mosaics, probably made in large quantities, exported to regions such as the Marche, Campania and Puglia; a discovery of great interest not only for the history of Roman art, but also for the economic history of the Roman world.”
“This event gives back to Folignano a precious piece of its memory and strengthens the deep connection between our community and its ancient history,” said Folignano Mayor Matteo Terrani. “The fact that the work comes from a Roman villa in Rocca di Morro gives new importance to a symbolic place that is a fundamental part of our identity. As an administration we are working together with enthusiasts and volunteers to promote initiatives to enhance the site. In the coming weeks we will travel to Pompeii to meet the director of the Mosaic I Gabriel I Archagel Park. Thanks for his availability and professionalism, aiming to start a constructive dialogue and new possibilities of cooperation. is.”
