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Insula VI stretches northwards from the lower decumanus to the Decumanus Superior, bounded to west and east by Cardos III and IV. This block contains several important buildings including the Central Thermae complex.
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Central Thermae (Ins VI, 1-10)
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The Central Thermae were built at the beginning of the 1st century AD and are divided, as was common practice, into men's and women's baths, each with their own entrance, on Cardo III and Cardo IV at Nos. 1 and 8 respectively.
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The men's baths, preceded by latrines, are entered directly from the apodyterium, which contains a labrum at the far end, and another small basin for washing prior to entering the rest of the complex. The apodyterium leads directly into the frigidarium to the left and the tepidarium to the right. The circular frigidarium has a vaulted ceiling decorated with sea creatures and a pool with steps leading down into the water. The tepidarium, heated by means of hot air beneath the floor, has a fine mosaic floor depicting a triton surrounded by dolphins.
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A door leads to the great caldarium, also heated in the same way. It has two pools, one for hot water and a labrum for cold water.
The women's baths, although smaller and less elaborate, have survived in better condition. Preceded by a waiting room, they consist of an apodyterium, decorated with elegant mosaics similar in style to the men's tepidarium, a tepidarium decorated with meanders and squares, and a caldarium, with a rectangular basin and a circular labrum.
Opposite the baths is a large porticoed garden which served not only as a recreational area, but also as a meeting place and an open-air lounge.
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At the back of the building, at No. 10, are the service rooms, a well, and a praefurnium with boilers for heating the water and providing the hot air.
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House of the Black Hall (Ins VI, 11-13)
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This is one of Herculaneum's more luxurious mansions. It is characterised by a vast painted hall, decorated with elegant architectural motifs of the Fourth Style against a black background.
In a room near the atrium, twenty wax tablets were discovered bearing the name of L. Venidus Enniychus, probably the owner.
Several structures are well preserved including wooden door frames and a lararium with wooden
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columns surmounted by tiny marble capitals.
The courtyard of the house is shown opposite.
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