Vittorio Spinazzola

179 Spinazzola dVittorio Spinazzola (1863-1943) received both a literary and archaeological education. He attended and later taught at the University of Naples, studied at the Italian School of Archeology and acquired archaeological experience at Paestum.  From 1889 to 1910, he worked at the Archaeological Museum of Bologna and National Museum of Taranto, and was Director of the Museum of San Martino in Naples.  In 1910 he was appointed Director of the National Museum in Naples and the following year the Superintendent of the Archaeological Works in Pompeii. Spinazzola developed his own new ideas and methods of excavation. His primary interest was to connect the amphitheater (one of the first structures to have been discovered in Pompeii) with the center of the city.  He directed and supervised the excavation and recording of almost 400 linear meters of via dell’Abbondanza between vicolo del Citarista (close to via Stabiana) and vicolo della Venere (towards the Sarno Gate).  Spinazzola also pioneered new restoration techniques by having the façades and upper stories of the buildings carefully consolidated and reconstructed as they were uncovered.  This preserved valuable inscriptions and revealed the existence of commercial and industrial facilities as well as residential properties. (Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei and Berry, ed., Unpeeling Pompeii, Studies in Region I of Pompeii, 1998, p. 7.  Photograph of Vittorio Spinazola (center) with visitiors in the forum in Pompeii kindly provided by Sig. Bruno Spinazzola, great-grandson of Vittorio.)

1911-1923 - Excavation photograph 11 of via dell’Abbondanza


Permission to display this photograph has been granted by the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività  Culturali – Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei.  This image may NOT be copied or reproduced in any manner.

730 11 iii 5 d


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