Working Garden

This is the large Working Garden of the estate of Julia Felix.  It covers the largest area of this Insula II.4.  Wilhelmina Jashemski carefully excavated (1961–1984) several of the working gardens at Pompeii and was able to discover what had been planted in them.  These gardens are now being planted with the same vegetation that Jashemski discovered.

Jashemski, Wilhelmina F.  The Gardens of Pompeii: Herculaneum and the Villas Destroyed by Vesuvius.  New Rochelle: Caratzas Brothers, 1979.

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The estate of Julia Felix (Praedia di Giulia Felice) is a very large complex that was rebuilt after the earthquake of A.D. 62.  It is located just to the northwest of the Amphitheater.  Two blocks (insulae) of Pompeii were combined into one to form it.  The complex consists of four parts: an atrium house, a large formal garden, a bath complex, and a large working garden.

From an inscription, it is known that it was owned by Julia Felix and parts of it were available to be rented to the elite of Pompeii.