T5 Pompeii. Tower V.
According to Van der Graaff –
“Today, the twelve towers built into the Pompeian circuit are in ruins, their tall structures toppled during the earthquake of the 60s CE and the eruption of Vesuvius…………………..
Each tower consisted of three floors supported by barrel vaults and interconnected by means of rear internal stairways. A door in the back provided access to the city side, and one on either flank opened on the wall-walk. A small postern in the ground floor usually opened onto the exterior side of the defences.”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.71/2). (See p.71-81 – The Towers).
Tower V from the south-west, from near Tower IV. May 2006. Looking east.
T5 Pompeii. Tower V from the south-west. May 2006.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking towards north-east side of upper tower. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2011.
Looking south-east from rear of Tower towards modern Pompeii. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“Tower V present extensive toothed brickwork in its quoins and southern flank.
The construction technique is similar to Tower II, implying that its refurbishment occurred in the early colony.
The ground floor inside the tower has no pavement. When or what event caused its removal is unclear.
Modern masonry composes much of the upper structure.
If restored correctly, the tower displays a floating rear entrance and side doors that are the result of lowering the agger associated with the construction of the amphitheatre in 70 BCE.
A sliver of surviving opus vittatum mixtum masonry, set below a modern restoration on the first corner of the stairway, hints at a post-earthquake intervention. Considering that the entire upper arcade of the neighbouring amphitheatre displays similar brickwork, it seems likely that both structures received contemporary post-earthquake repairs.” (Note 99).
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.132-133).
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking south-west along rear west wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking north-east along rear west wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking south-east towards west wall, and site of doorway?. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2011.
Looking through gap in south wall of tower towards steps on west inner side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
T5 Pompeii. Tower V. May 2011.
Looking through gap in south wall of tower towards steps on west inner side. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Van der Graaff mentions “a sliver of surviving opus vittatum mixtum masonry, set below a modern restoration on the first corner of the stairway.”
T5 Pompeii. Tower V. May 2011. Passage along south side inside the tower. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2011. Detail of arrow slit. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2011. Detail of upper vaulted roof. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
T5 Pompeii. Tower V. May 2011. South-east corner inside the tower. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
T5 Pompeii. Tower V. May 2011. East wall and main chamber under vaulted roof, inside the tower. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Looking east towards north-east corner across main chamber with vaulted roof. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Detail from north wall in north-east corner of main chamber. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2011.
Detail from north wall in north-east corner of main chamber. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2011.
Vaulted roof and west wall of main chamber. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2010.
West wall of main chamber with vaulted roof. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2011.
Looking north towards wall in corridor with doorway to main room on right. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2011.
Looking south along corridor at rear of vaulted room. Photo
courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower V, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking east along corridor. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Corridor with lowered ceiling, looking towards arrow slit rendered ineffective by the lowering.
Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
T5 Pompeii. Tower V from the south-west. May 2006.
T5 Pompeii. Tower V from the south-west. June 2012. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
T5 Pompeii. Tower V, city walls and outside of the Amphitheatre from the east. December 2005.
T5 Pompeii. Tower V. December 2005.
T5 Pompeii. Tower V. December 2005. Outside front of tower.
T5 Pompeii. Tower V, Pompeii. 1974.
Looking north towards Tower V and walls, with amphitheatre built in above the walls. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.
Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.
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T5 Pompeii. Tower V, Pompeii. 1974. Looking north east, with Tower 5, on the left. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.
Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.
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T5 Pompeii. 1972. Looking north to Tower V and amphitheatre walls. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.
Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.
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T5 Pompeii, on right. 1968.
Looking north to Tower V, built into the walls beneath the amphitheatre, seen below and between the 2nd and 3rd conifer.
Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.
Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.
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T5 Pompeii. 1968.
Looking north to amphitheatre and section of wall between Tower IV, on left, and Tower V, on right. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.
Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.
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T5 Pompeii. 1964. Tower V from the south, together with the amphitheatre, centre left. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.
Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in
the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page)
and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial
License v.4. See Licence
and use details.
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