|
|
|
|
|
|
© Stéphane Compoint
|
|
The Vicolo Storto is Pompeii’s best known brothel as it is the only one which was built for this purpose only. Situated on the corner of two little sinuous streets in the oldest part of the city, the establishment had five beds on the ground floor and another five on the second floor. Judging by the over 120 graffiti there, the brothel was also quite active. Although the city counted 34 brothels (for 35 bakeries!) this one sets itself apart from the others as it is the only one to have been rationally organized. Indeed, its narrow cells were very close together favoring promiscuity. In other places, customers used rooms on the top floors of houses or inns, accessible by a separate stairway which gave directly onto the street. The etymology of the word “lupanar”, meaning “brothel”, comes from the Latin “lupus” meaning “wolf”, since ancient Roman prostitutes were nicknamed “she-wolves”.
|
|
|
|
|
