Sculptures and architectural decoration in roman villas at Oplontis

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Dietrich Boschung
• Subject Area: Classical, Roman, Christian and Islamic Archaeology
• Term: from 2017 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 361346911

This collaborative project with the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Pompei, Ercolano e Stabia aims to provide a comprehensive photographic documentation and thorough scholarly study of the sculptures and architectural decoration from villas A and B at Oplontis (Torre Annunziata, Italy). These spectacular finds, having only been considered in summary form thus far, will be examined in terms of their production, traces of polychromy, and repairs, and will be typologically and chronologically classified. In this context, previous suggestions for their display in the villa gardens will be revisited. It also remains to be clarified whether the sculptures and architectural decoration were created in the same or in different periods. The results will add to existing research on the phases of the architectural history and wall paintings in order to better comprehend the use of this complex site.The project will culminate in a catalog, including contributions by both scholars of the University of Cologne and the Soprintendenza, focusing on the research history, topography, and architectural history of the villas.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants