A private donor pays for the work

Officials announced on Tuesday, 20 October, that restoration has started on the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus, which is believed to be the grandest residence in the Pompeii archaeological site. The full cost of 1.4 million euros is covered by PompeiAR, a company owned by the German entrepreneur Frank Hoefer. Adnkronos put the figure at 1,462,000 euros, while the other reports used 1.4 million. The sponsorship contract was signed by Gabriel Zuchtriegel, who acts as the park's legal representative, and by Hoefer as owner of the sponsoring firm.

Hoefer first saw Pompeii in 1974, at the age of 16. Decades later he read Zuchtriegel's 2023 book, 'Pompeii: The Enchanted City', and then reached out to the park. In a release he called the project exciting. He has also said the park needs more backers and that he wants to help find them.

“I also have the impression that Pompeii is very open to innovative approaches to preservation and public access.”

What the restoration covers

The current work concentrates on the frescoes, among them the famous Venus of Pompeii, which sits in a ritual chapel inside the residence. Structural stabilisation and excavation took place between 2021 and 2023, before the frescoes became the focus. The house stands on top of the old city walls and has large windows facing the gulf, with wooden frames and, in all likelihood, glass panes. Its four floors are linked by a maze of corridors, staircases and passages that served both reception rooms and service areas. The owner is believed to have been a magistrate or a freedman of the imperial household. Remains of several victims of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD have been found in the complex and in neighbouring houses, including the House of Castricius and the House of the Golden Bracelet.

Opening plans and the ticket question

Park officials expect part of the house to open to guided groups by Christmas. Zuchtriegel said the park wants to expand sponsorships of this kind. In a video statement, he said that even 50 such sponsors would not let the park scrap its entrance ticket for a symbolic one-euro price, but that this is a goal the site has to work toward. Work is also under way to make the complex easier to navigate, and digital technology is being developed to help visitors grasp its layout. Zuchtriegel also described what it feels like to walk through the house.

“At times, you feel like you are in a 19th-century palace in Naples, yet this is a Roman house from 2,000 years ago.”