It was two thousand years ago that, at the foot of Vesuvius, Pompeii disappeared from the face of the earth. The sleeping volcano swallowed up a city that, today a World Heritage Site, continues to rise from the ashes. Discovered in the mid-18th century, excavations continue and history is retold.
Pompeii, the city of the Roman Empire located near Naples, Italy, was hidden for 1600 years, after the brutal eruption of Vesuvius, which was dormant for 7 centuries. Ashes and lava protected the buildings that would see the light of day again through the hand of archaeologists, providing a detailed idea of life in a city from the times of Ancient Rome and, therefore, being one of the most visited places in the world. Its history was written in books, told in schools, immortalized in verses.
Although it was thought that the excavations, carried out for more than 2 centuries, had brought to life the secrets of the buried city, the “Great Project of Pompeii”, totally financed by the European Union, worth 104 million euros, allowed to rewrite the story. In addition to new works of art such as frescoes with extraordinarily well-preserved paintings in the House of Jupiter or the use of lead in panels, for example, the very date of the volcanic eruption had to be changed due to new discoveries.
In the ruins of Pompeii there are some temples, the basilica, the forum and the thermal baths, as well as some houses of wealthy families in excellent condition. The frescoes and panels with erotic paintings came to give new clues to the artistic world about the trends of the time. In the barn of the forum you can find varied archaeological remains, in addition to the stone bodies of the people who were trapped in the lava of the volcano.
