Parco archeologico di Ercolano

The Roman city of Herculaneum, which was destroyed and buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, was rediscovered in the 18th century as a result of the Bourbon expeditions.
The town was constructed with modest walls on a volcanic plateau that overhangs the sea at the foot of Vesuvius. Its eastern and western boundaries are defined by two streams, and two river inlets provide natural and safe harbours. The city was relatively modest in size, with an estimated total area enclosed by the walls of approximately 20 hectares. Of this, approximately 4.5 hectares are now visible in the open air, with a population of approximately 4,000 inhabitants.
Despite its lengthy history, the excavations have only uncovered a portion of the ancient city. Consequently, a considerable amount of Herculaneum's ancient past remains buried underground. This includes the entire forensic area, as well as sacred and civil buildings with their valuable furnishings and decorative elements.
At the present time, with the exception of the baths and the gymnasium, the majority of the archaeological park that can be visited is comprised of private dwellings from the imperial age, which exhibit a considerable diversity of architectural styles. These include houses with traditional layouts, multi-family residential blocks, and large residences that developed part of their quarters in a dominant position overlooking the sea and straddling the walls.
Despite the limitations of the archaeological evidence, it appears that the urban layout was structured around at least three decumans (only two of which were excavated: the lower decumanus and the maximum decumanus, which was partially pedestrianised with a four-sided arch to the west and an access point to the temple of the Magna Mater to the east). These decumans were intersected by five hinges (only three of which were excavated), which were perpendicular to the decumans and the coastline. The southern limit of the city is also sufficiently well documented, with its powerful vaulted substructures (fornixes), the terraces above with the suburban baths and the large private domus, which are articulated on several levels. Dionysius of Halicarnassus attributes the mythical founding of the city to Heracles on his return from Iberia, while Strabo reports that the city was first in the hands of the Opici-Osci, then the Etruscans and Pelasgians, and finally the Samnites.
Similarly to Pompeii and Stabiae, Herculaneum was also situated within the sphere of influence of the Nucerine confederation. Following an uprising against Rome during the Social War, the city was attacked and conquered in 89 BC by Titus Didius, the legate of Lucius Cornelius Sulla. As a result, it was subjected to the process of municipalisation that the Romans subsequently implemented throughout central and southern Italy.
The city's existence was ultimately brought to a sudden and violent end with the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.
The location of the ancient Roman city was forgotten over time. It was only in 1710 that a farmer, Ambrogio Nucerino, recovered valuable marble fragments while digging a well to irrigate his vegetable garden. These fragments were later identified as belonging to the theatre of the ancient city. Upon learning of the discovery, the nobleman Emanuel-Maurice de Lorraine, Prince of Elboeuf, purchased the well and, for a period of nine months, conducted excavations in the area at his own expense. These efforts resulted in the recovery of nine statues, which he subsequently presented to prominent figures of the era as a gesture of homage.
Nevertheless, it was not until 1738, at the instigation of King Charles III of Bourbon, that comprehensive investigations of the ancient site by means of subterranean exploration commenced. In 1828, during the rule of Francis I of Bourbon, the first open-air excavations were conducted, which continued until 1875. Following a lengthy hiatus, the project was resumed in 1927 by Amedeo Maiuri, who conducted it until 1958. By 1942, the vast majority of the area that constitutes the present-day archaeological park had been excavated and restored.
Subsequent to this, between the years 1960 and 1969, further work was conducted in the northern sector of Insula VI and along the decumanus maximus. In the last twenty years, the ancient beach, which coincides with the southernmost strip of the archaeological area, has been explored. In this area, twelve rooms with arched entrances (the fornices), boat shelters and storerooms, which had been used by many Herculaneans as a refuge during their flight from the eruption, were unearthed.
In the years 1996-1998, open-air excavations were conducted in the area conventionally designated the "Scavi Nuovi." This area is connected to the archaeological park proper by a narrow and deep trench that joins at the height of the House of Aristides and continues as a tunnel under the modern Vico Mare. In this area, new excavation, restoration and valorization works were carried out by the Superintendency in 2007-2009 with funding from the European Community. These works revealed structures belonging to the Villa of the Papyri (atrium quarter, first floor below and terrace overlooking the sea), which had already been explored through underground passages in the 18th century. They also revealed part of a thermal complex of the north-western Insula and a luxurious residential building of Insula I.
It was not possible to fully uncover these sites, as the majority of the structures are located beneath land that has not been expropriated. Indeed, a system of water pumps was necessary to maintain constant control over the water table, due to the sinking of the ancient coastline following the eruption of 79 AD and related phenomena. The reopening of the Decumanus Maximus, the principal thoroughfare of the ancient city of Herculaneum, signifies the culmination of the repatriation of Roman roads to the public and the conclusion of a pivotal phase in the restoration of commercial establishments along the northern escarpment and a number of the most noteworthy Roman dwellings on the archaeological site. These include the House of the Double Portal, which is now accessible in its entirety, featuring an impressive entrance, a columned portico, and wooden elements that remain intact. Meanwhile, significant restoration work is underway on the renowned House of the Bicentennial. Furthermore, additional exceptional maintenance is being conducted on the infrastructural facilities and conservative restoration work is ongoing on the buildings of the ancient city. Archaeological research activities are also being undertaken as part of the inter-institutional Herculaneum Conservation Project, which is being conducted with the support of co-funding from the Packard Humanities Institute in collaboration with the British School at Rome and other Italian and foreign universities.

On 6 May 2024, Piazza Carlo di Borbone, an area of 5,000 square metres overlooking the Archaeological Park and situated in close proximity to the forum of ancient Herculaneum, was inaugurated in Herculaneum. The project was financed by the Campania Region as part of the Integrated Sustainable City Programme, with the additional support of private entities.