A perfect example of a Vitruvian atrium: the main atrium of the Casa del Centenario in Pompeii.

The Insula of the Centenary, the eighth in the Regio IX in Pompeii, was given this name because it was excavated in 1879, the eighteenth centenary of the eruption of Vesuvius. The greater part of the Insula is occupied by the large domus of the Centenary. The domus shows traces of a long and troubled building history; restoration work has been carried out on various occasions, with variations in the dimensions of the rooms and their intended use and significant remakes of flooring and, especially, wall covering decorations. At the time of the eruption in 79 A.D. the appearance of the house was that of a large building with a peristylium and two atria, one of the few in Pompeii, looking out over via di Nola, where its two main entrances were located. In the past twenty years, the entire Insula of the Centenary has been the object of numerous studies carried out by various teams from the University of Bologna. Various surveys have been carried out, both with conventional methods and also with two laser survey campaigns repeated after a few years. Based on these surveys, the main atrium, the most prestigious entrance to the domus, has been shown to reflect the canonical measures of the Vitruvian atrium. A possible method of tracing in plan are illustrated, also with reference to the measurements in Osci feet, and the consequent volumes are proposed for a basis of possible reconstructions, in particular of restoration roofs for the protection and creation of museum spaces.