Featured Excursions in Italy

Herculaneum

The ‘discovery’ of Pompeii and Herculaneum

Majestic and menacing, Vesuvius still dominates the Neapolitan landscape. From the Eighteenth century onwards travellers have been prepared to tackle the climb up to the top in order to admire the panorama and look down into the crater. There is no better starting point to begin a journey through the history and culture of Campania.
A journey which takes us back in time, as far as that 24th of August in 79 A.D. when Vesuvius ‘put on a show’ with a devastating eruption which buried Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis.
The rediscovery of the places that were victims of the wrath of the volcano came about almost by chance. In 1709 the prince d’Elboeuf, was having a well dug in his Vesuvian residence, when he came upon the remains of the theatre of Herculaneum. From then on, researches were made which brought to light an archaeological, artistic and historical heritage of inestimable value, which every year draws millions of visitors.

Herculaneum
At Herculaneum, unlike Pompeii, where the eruption destroyed roofs and attics, a large part of the buildings remain several stories high: the House of Argus still has its wooden balcony.
The House of Relief of Telephus is distinguished by its refined marble decorations; the House of Neptune and Amphitrite have beautiful mosaics; the House of the Deer has sumptuous rooms and the superb Villa of the Papyri is famous for its sculptures, now on view in the Archaeological Museum of Naples and its library of philosophical texts. Not far from Herculaneum, near Torre Annunziata (formerly ancient Oplontis) stands the Villa of Poppea. The traditional view is that it belonged to Poppea Sabina, Nero’s second wife. The building, standing in a large garden, is decorated with brilliant frescoes representing still life subjects.

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