"The original building dates to the second century B.C., but it was renovated and enlarged many times, gradually transforming from a farmhouse into a true suburban villa. The period of its greatest splendor, however, began with the founding of...
“The large oecus (5) next to the nuptial bedchamber (4) contains the famous frieze representing the “mysteries” of the Dionysus cult that give the villa its name. The paintings here represent the initiation of a young woman into the mysteries...
“Moving from the atrium to the exedra, one passes through a tablinum or open living room (2), decorated with Egyptian motifs. They were executed with a miniaturist’s precision on a black wall polished to a mirrorlike shine. It is one of the...
