By Georgia Wilkinson
Narrated by Nicola Barranger
Painshill has a 2,000-year-old secret… Discover the lost altar and the mysterious young woman whose ashes it held.
Translation of inscription by Dr Susan Walker: “Vesonia Procula, Daughter Of Cnaeus, A Citizen Of Iesso in Nearer Spain, Aged 23, Lies Here. Julius Natalis (Set This Up) To His Most Excellent And Deserving Wife.”
Like many young men of the 18th century, Charles Hamilton embarked on Grand Tours across Europe. On his travels, he became captivated by Rome and purchased a collection of artefacts from ancient sites. Today, this practice would be considered heinous by archaeologists and historians, but at the time it was commonplace for wealthy gentlemen to acquire relics and ship them back to England. This would have been at considerable cost, as many such items were heavy and unwieldy. Indeed, some of the ‘artefacts’ would even have been fakes, created and sold by locals to capitalise on foreign fascination with classical antiquity.
When he was in his twenties, Hamilton acquired a beautiful altar during one of his Grand Tours. He would have taken it from Rome in either 1725 or 1732 and when he purchased Painshill, he brought it with him to sit beneath the Ruined Roman Arch. It appears there, on the western side of the lake, in contemporary 18th century paintings. The Arch was likely constructed by Hamilton in the 1750s and was inspired by the architecture he admired during his travels. Perhaps in placing the altar beneath it he hoped to add a degree of authenticity to his modern ruin.
The Roman Altar depicted on the Great Lawn next to a statue of the Abduction of a Sabine Woman. ‘Altar and Cork Tree‘ sketched in 1950 by Sir William Russell Flint.
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST ALTAR
Sir William Russell Flint sketched Painshill in 1950, not long after World War II. From his drawings, we can see that by the mid-20th century, the altar had been moved to the Great Lawn and positioned not far from a statue portraying the Abduction of a Sabine Woman. This is the last depiction available of the Roman Altar within the bounds of Painshill. For decades, this ancient relic became lost and the park fell to utter ruin.
In the 1980s, as archaeologists began putting Painshill back together, one piece of the puzzle was notably missing: The Roman Altar. It wasn’t beneath the Ruined Roman Arch nor on the Great Lawn. And despite considerable efforts to manicure the grounds, it remained lost. Had the altar been stolen? Destroyed? Or totally lost as nature engulfed Hamilton’s landscape?
Around the same time, Painshill House, built by Benjamin Bond Hopkins (the park’s second owner), was being converted into six luxurious flats. This building was no longer within the borders of the park and its secrets remained beyond the reach of the archaeologists.
Decades later, in 2018, when the Roman Altar was all but forgotten, a gentleman approached staff at Painshill with some exciting news. He was a resident of Painshill House and he had a rather interesting garden decoration that had been situated on the property for many years. Inspection of the piece revealed it to be the lost altar, and, in an exciting twist of fate, it was found to be a genuine Ancient Roman artefact. Based on similar artefacts, the British Museum have dated it to the reign of Emperor Trajan who ruled between 98 CE – 117 CE. This suggests that the altar is almost 2,000 years old, making it Painshill’s oldest artefact. After inspection, the altar was returned to Painshill where it could undergo research and conservation and eventually be put on display for the public to enjoy.
The Roman Altar photographed in the garden of Painshill House.
THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF VESONIA PROCULA
Recovery of the altar allowed City & Guilds of London Art School student Gabrielle Nohr to carry out conservation efforts, which were completed in 2025. Her research helped contextualise and uncover the secrets of the lost altar. The altar is made of white marble and at one time it would have held the cinerary urn of the deceased. The central Latin inscription reveals that this altar belonged to a young woman. It would have been a place to keep her ashes secure after cremation and allowed her loved ones to honour her with offerings. Sculpted into the exterior are stunning motifs invoking imagery of the natural world. An imperial eagle, ram heads, swans, garlands and more.
This particular altar was for a young woman named Vesonia Procula. She died at 23 years old and the altar was commissioned by her husband, Julius Natalis. We know very little about her short life. Her father is cited to be a man called Cnaeus who heralded from Iesso, Spain, which is located near modern-day Barcelona. Vesonia is described by her husband as his “most excellent and deserving wife.” This kind of language was commonly used to describe the deceased in Ancient Rome but the endearment does imply affection between Julius and Vesonia. The tragedy of her untimely death remains a mystery. It is possible that Vesonia died during labour (her age would place her within prime childbearing years), perhaps she fell ill, or maybe she endured a tragic accident.
The circumstances of her death will likely remain one of Painshill’s unsolved mysteries but hopefully, when her funerary altar is rehoused, sheltered from the elements in Painshill’s Visitor Hub, Vesonia’s story will be appreciated for years to come. The funerary altar of this young woman has absolutely served its purpose over its 2,000-year lifespan. It has accounted Vesonia’s journey from Iesso, to Rome, and eventually to Painshill and cemented her legacy for many years to come.
Visitors admiring the Roman Altar beneath the Ruined Roman Arch in Painshill Park. Painting attributed to William Hannan, 1770.
