This house is, at 3,000 square metres, the biggest and most expensive residence leftover from Pompeii, and must have belonged to an incredibly wealthy family. This family decorated their house with beautiful artwork in the form of intricate mosaics and of course, the statue of a faun that not only gives it its name, but also alludes to the family name: Satrii.

When Mount Vesuvius erupted, the owners were either forced to flee or perished in the aftermath. Built in the late second century BC, it has remained basically unchanged thanks to the layers of ash that coated it and shielded it from the wear and tear of time. The pavement outside the house is inscribed with the Latin word “HAVE”, a symbol of prestige. The impressive door with pillars rising on either side, while the entrance floro is inlaid with yellow, green, red and pink marble in a triangular pattern. The house contains multiple rooms, including two atria and two peristylia.

The dancing bronze faun statue is a symbol of elegance and grace, although it is only a replica of the original. It sits in the middle of the impluvium, a basin for catching rain water, and would be the first object to be seen if people were to look through the main doorway. The Alexander Mosaic is a reconstruction of the exquisite artwork depicting the defeat of King Darius III by Alexander the Great. Made from around 4 million miniscule pieces of cut stone and glass painstakingly arranged and inlaid into the floor, it is truly a masterpiece. You can’t help but envy the lives that the rich Romans lead, whiling away their days in this opulent home.