T7 Pompeii. Tower VII.

Towers plan

According to Van der Graaff –

“Today, the twelve towers built into the Pompeian circuit are in ruins, their tall structures toppled during the earthquake of the 60s CE and the eruption of Vesuvius…………………..

Each tower consisted of three floors supported by barrel vaults and interconnected by means of rear internal stairways. A door in the back provided access to the city side, and one on either flank opened on the wall-walk. A small postern in the ground floor usually opened onto the exterior side of the defences.”

See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.71/2). (See p.71-81 – The Towers).

T7 Pompeii. May 2006. Looking west along the city walls towards Tower VII.

T7 Pompeii. May 2006. Looking west along the city walls towards Tower VII.

T7 Pompeii. July 2011. Looking west along the city walls towards Tower VII. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

Tower VII on north-east side of Pompeii. May 2010.

Looking towards doorway. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII on north-east side of Pompeii. May 2010. North side, from outside the city walls. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

T7 Pompeii. Tower VII. May 2006. North side, from outside the city walls.

T7 Pompeii. Tower VII. May 2006. East and north sides.

T7 Pompeii. Tower VII. May 2006. East side, with arched doorway.

T7 Pompeii. Tower VII. May 2006. Looking inside the arched doorway.

T7 Pompeii. Tower VII. May 2006. Looking south along corridor through arrow slit window on east end of north wall.

T7 Pompeii. Tower VII. May 2006. Looking south along corridor through arrow slit/window on east end of north wall.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Looking through central window towards east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking south through central window. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

T7 Pompeii. Tower VII. May 2006. Looking through window in centre of north wall.

T7 Pompeii. Tower VII. May 2006. Looking through window on west end of north wall.

T7 Pompeii. Tower VII. May 2006. North and west side of tower, from outside the city walls.

T7 Pompeii. Tower VII. 1964. Looking north-east from inside walls and III.7 towards Tower VII. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

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Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Looking south-east from rear of Tower, towards Amphitheatre, in centre. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Pompeii city walls between Porta Sarno and the Porta Nola. May 2010.

Looking towards upper walls of Tower VII. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. Detail from upper east wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. Upper south-east corner of Tower. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. Detail of upper south-east corner of Tower. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. East side of entrance on upper level. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking north through doorway from upper level. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. West side of entrance on upper level. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking east along Walls towards Tower. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking north-east from upper level. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking north-west from upper level. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Looking up stairway from south-east corner. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Stairway down to upper south-east corner. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. Detail of remains of vaulted ceiling in upper south-east corner. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Stairway down to lower north-east corner. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. North wall with arrow slit windows. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Looking north through arrow slit window at west end of north wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Looking north through arrow slit window at south end of north wall of main chamber. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Looking towards south wall and south-west corner with doorway to corridor. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Corridor, looking east from main chamber. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Corridor, looking north towards arrow slit window in wall and doorway, on right. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Looking north through arrow slit window on east end of exterior wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking east through doorway. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Corridor, looking south along from doorway. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

Tower VII, Pompeii. May 2010.

Looking north along corridor leading to vaulted doorway into main chamber. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.

T7 Pompeii. July 2011. Walls containing carved inscriptions near Tower VII. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

According to Cooley, a series of inscriptions (CIL X 8349 to 8361) were found between the Porta Sarno and the Porta Nola.

These appear to be epitaphs and are inscribed directly on the city walls, rather than on separate tombstones.

Nearby were found 38 cinerary urns containing cremations.

“They perhaps represent the burials of the poorer inhabitants of Pompeii”.

T7 Pompeii. 1812 drawing showing inscriptions on walls near tower to Pausia Iulia and Lollia Chileidon.

According to Minervini, the latter was possibly a free Greek with allegiance to the name Lollia.

See Mazois, F., 1812. Les Ruines de Pompei: Premiere Partie. Paris: Didot Frères. (p. 36, pl. 12).

See Bullettino Archeologico Napolitano, N. S. 3, No 58, November 1854.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) the first reads

Pausia Iulia       [CIL IV, 2502 (p 466) = CIL X, 08353 = AE 2004, +00398]

According to the Packard Humanities Institute https://epigraphy.packhum.org/text/141043?hs=60-68 the second reads

Λολλία

Χηλειδών.        [CIL IV, 2498 = CIL X, 8355 = IG-14, 00706 = AE 2004, +00398]

T7 Pompeii. July 2011. Walls near Tower VII. Inscription to Auli Fisti. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this reads

A(uli) Fisti v(ivit?)

locu(s)       [CIL IV, 2501 (p 466) = CIL X, 8351 = AE 2004, +00398]

T7 Pompeii. July 2011. Niche in walls near Tower VII. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

T7 Pompeii. July 2011. Inscription to PROTVS on walls near Tower VII. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this reads

Protus      [CIL IV, 2500 = CIL X, 8357 = AE 2004, +00398]

Towers plan