The activity in the quarry at Terzigno (NA), a Vesuvian town corresponding to the outermost northern periphery of ancient Pompeii, led to the discovery of rustic villas dating to the end of the 2nd-beginning of the 1st century B.C., with several construction phases, buried by the eruption of 79 A.D.
From the 1980s onwards three complexes have been partially uncovered, conventionally known as villa 1, villa 2 and villa 6.

Exploration of villa 1 uncovered the wine cellar with 42 dolia, on a higher level than the surrounding rooms. To the north of this a portico with tufa and brick columns partially incorporated into a later wall, to the east a room for the storage of animal fodder which opened onto a large farmyard. Judging from the number of architectural terracottas found, the villa must have had an opulent residential quarter, fortunately saved and still to be excavated. The presence in the area of the portico of a mill-stone, a fill of crushed brick, probably to be used in the preparation of wall or floor facings, attests that at the time of the eruption restoration work was being carried out on the villa, perhaps to repair the damage caused by the earthquake of 62 A.D. or rather by the seismic activity preceding the eruption.
Exploration of villa 2 uncovered rustic spaces and rooms for wine production arranged around a courtyard delimited on two sides by a portico with brick pillars and columns. Water was supplied by two large cisterns in the courtyard. Among the rooms situated north of the courtyard were a large kitchen, accessible directly from the vestibule, and a room opening onto the portico. Here the skeletons of five individuals who had attempted to flee were found, their most precious belongings beside them. These comprised three gold necklaces worn by the victims, one of which embellished with emeralds, two solid gold serpentiform bracelets probably held in the hand of one of the victims, a pile of denarii in a small bag, a mirror and a small silver amphoretta, whilst a pair of skyphoi and a situla, all silver, were dropped in the portico during the flight. The southern wing of the building was occupied by a torcular and the wine cellar housing 24 dolia. Both rooms were on a higher level than the courtyard floor.

Villa 6 is the most important of those found at Terzigno due to the exceptional painted decoration found there, belonging to the building phases datable to the mid 1st century B.C. when elegant residential quarters were added to the rustic villa. Following the earthquake of 62 A.D. the abandoned villa was transformed and used exclusively for wine production. It was still working in 79 A.D. to judge by the discovery just outside the entrance to the production area of the skeletons of a group of slaves, killed by collapsing rubble as they tried to flee. As well as the entrance to the production area a small kitchen storeroom, the courtyard preceded by a portico with pillars, the torcular and the wine cellar, still undergoing alterations at the time of the eruption, were uncovered.

Excavation of the residential quarter is ongoing. To date the portico and a number of rooms to its north-west have been investigated. These areas produced a complex of floors and paintings in the II style, including the outstanding megalography, of difficult interpretation, in the reception room. In the last period of the villa’s life this sector of the villa, disused and degraded, was occupied by workers involved in the wine production. The graffiti incised on the walls and some equipment located there in order to meet new requirements, attested the change from its original use.