You’re standing in front of the so-called Black Room, a bedroom from an imperial Roman villa at Boscotrecase. The sumptuous country estate belonged to Agrippa, friend of the Emperor Augustus and husband of his daughter, Julia. You’ll find a plan of the villa on the wall directly behind you. The Black Room is number fifteen on the plan. This rectangular room originally gave onto a terrace overlooking the sea.

Now turn around and walk into the bedroom. Its dimensions and floor have been reconstructed according to drawings made during the villa’s excavation. The ceiling, however, would have been higher.

Before you are ten original fresco panels positioned as they were in antiquity. The wall area surrounding the frescoes has been painted black to give you an impression of the original setting. Along the lower part of the wall is a purplish-red dado that runs around the entire room. Above this dado is a thin green band suggesting a narrow ledge. From this ledge, rise elegant, metallic-like columns that support pavilions, candelabra, and a narrow cornice that runs around the top of the room.

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