The Lupanar

The Lupanar was a house of pleasure in ancient Pompeii with at least 25 different brothels frequented by inhabitants and merchants passing through the city.

Unlike normal lupanars, which were usually located on the upper floors of commercial buildings, spas or private homes, this building was solely used as a brothel.

The structure of the Lupanar of Pompeii

The Lupanar was built over two floors: the lower one, frequented by a more modest clientele, consisted of 5 small rooms with frescoes depicting some scenes of embraces and masonry beds with mattresses; the upper floor was frequented by a more refined clientele and the 5 rooms were accessible via an independent entrance.
The prostitutes were slaves who had to hand over all their earnings to the pimp. Inscriptions were found on the walls with comments about both clients and prostitutes.

Visiting this site is a great way to discover a lesser-known aspect of Pompeii's culture.

Where is the Lupanar of Pompeii located?

It is not far from the Forum, the Macellum and the Stabian Baths, which had a secondary entrance on Vicolo del Lupanare.