Buried beneath the unappealing streets of Torre Annunziata, Oplontis was once a blue-ribbon seafront suburb under the administrative control of Pompeii. First discovered in the 18th century, only two of its houses have been unearthed, and only one, Villa Poppaea, is open to the public. This villa is a magnificent example of an otium villa (a residential building used for rest and recreation), thought to have belonged to Sabina Poppaea, Nero's second wife.
Particularly outstanding are the richly coloured 1st-century wall paintings in the triclinium (dining room) and calidarium (hot bathroom) in the west wing. Marking the villa's eastern border is a garden with an envy-inducing swimming pool (17m by 61m). The villa is a straightforward 300m walk from Torre Annunziata Circumvesuviana train station.
