Parco Archeologico di Pompei

The archaeological site of Pompeii, which encompasses 66 hectares, has been excavated to a depth of approximately 50 hectares, including the suburban areas. It is a unique ensemble of civil and private buildings, monuments, sculptures, paintings, and mosaics of such importance for the history of archaeology and antiquity that it has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The ash and lapilli that buried the city following the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, as narrated in the two famous epistles by Pliny the Younger, have in fact allowed for exceptional preservation, providing a vivid picture of the organisation of Roman cities, as well as the daily life of their inhabitants.
The ancient city stands on a plateau controlling the valley of the River Sarno, at whose mouth it was an active port. The visitor can enter it today by entering through one of the ancient gates, which were located along the walls (the Porta Marina entrance), walking along its ancient paved streets along which it is possible to visit dwellings, both modest and rich, with their own decorative wall and floor decorations, shops, the Forum with its public spaces and buildings, sacred areas, bath complexes and buildings for performances in the theatre district and amphitheatre. In addition, walking along the access roads to the ancient city, it is possible to observe monumental tombs of different types in the four necropolises arranged at the exit of the city gates, while outside the excavation area one can visit some of the extra-urban residences that stood throughout the Pompeian countryside, first and foremost the Villa cd. dei Misteri. The subdivision of the city, indicated along the route into regiones (quarters) and insulae (blocks), was made by Giuseppe Fiorelli in 1858, for study and orientation purposes.
In the absence of knowledge regarding the proprietor of a given residence, the excavators have ascribed names to these structures based on specific discoveries or other pertinent circumstances. The origins of the settlement are uncertain, although it is probable that it was Etruscan. Thanks to archaeological investigations, the oldest evidence has been identified, which dates back to between the end of the 7th and the first half of the 6th century BC. This evidence comprises the first walls, built in local grey tuff, known as 'pappamonte', to delimit an area of 63.5 hectares. The construction of a new fortification in Sarno limestone dates back to the 5th century BC. This new structure followed a similar route to the previous one, but it was not until the Samnite period that Pompeii received a significant impetus towards urbanisation. Towards the end of the 4th century BC, in response to mounting pressure from Samnite populations along the coast, Rome began to expand its influence into southern Italy. By forging alliances and pursuing victorious military campaigns, it eventually established hegemony over the entire Campania region between 343 and 290 BC. From the conclusion of the Hannibalic War onwards, a pattern emerges whereby entire neighbourhoods are systematically occupied and areas already settled in the city undergo restructuring. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the latter half of the 2nd century BC.

Pompeii thus entered into a partnership with Rome, becoming an ally of the Roman Republic. However, in 90-89 BC, Pompeii and other Italic peoples rebelled against Rome, claiming equal socio-political rights. The city was besieged by the troops of Publius Cornelius Sulla and subsequently capitulated, becoming a Roman colony with the name Cornelia Veneria Pompeianorum in 80 BC. Following the establishment of the colony, Pompeii saw a significant increase in the number of private and public buildings, as well as further embellishments, particularly during the reigns of the emperors Octavian Augustus and Tiberius.

In 62 AD, a severe seismic event occurred in the Vesuvian region. Immediately following the initial earthquake, reconstruction efforts commenced in Pompeii. However, due to the extensive damage and the subsequent seismic activity, the process was protracted. Seventeen years later, when Vesuvius erupted on 24 August 79 AD, burying Pompeii in ash and lapilli, the reconstruction site was still incomplete. The site was subsequently rediscovered in the 16th century, coinciding with the construction of the Count of Sarno's canal, which was carried out under the direction of Domenico Fontana. During this excavation, portions of buildings and significant public inscriptions were unearthed. However, the site was initially identified with Stabiae. It was not until 1748, during the reign of Charles III of Bourbon, that comprehensive exploration commenced with the objective of enhancing the prestige of the royal house.
The excavations proceeded in a discontinuous manner at various points across the ancient site, which was only after a few years identified as Pompeii. Consequently, the necropolis situated beyond the Herculaneum Gate, the temple of Isis and the theatre district were unearthed. The period of French occupation, in the early 1800s, saw a resurgence in excavations, which then ceased with the return of the Bourbons. Excavations were conducted in the vicinity of the amphitheatre and the forum, as well as in the area surrounding the Herculaneum Gate and the theatres. During the subsequent period of Bourbon rule, the discovery of the House of the Faun, with its large and renowned mosaic depicting the Battle of Alexander, caused considerable excitement.

Following the unification of Italy and the appointment of Giuseppe Fiorelli as director of the excavations (1861), a shift in working methodology was initiated. Indeed, an effort was made to link the previously unearthed areas and to pursue a systematic approach to the archaeological exploration. This entailed the preparation of more comprehensive excavation reports and the retention of the painted surfaces, which had been detached and relocated to the Royal Museum of Naples. This decision was often based on the subjective preferences and value judgments of the excavators and the royal household, which were not always well-founded. Additionally, the utilisation of plaster casts facilitated the recovery of the imprint left by the victims of the eruption, thereby enabling the restoration of a compelling visual representation of their demise, precipitated by the toxic gases emitted by the volcano during the eruption.
At the beginning of the last century, the exploration was extended towards the eastern part of the city, in regiones V, IX, I and II, following the directions formed by the roads - Via di Nola, Via di Stabia and Via dell'Abbondanza - in particular with Vittorio Spinazzola, and paying increasing attention to the traces left by the upper floors of the houses. This led to the long period (1924 - 1961) marked by Amedeo Maiuri's direction. In his intense excavation activity, especially in the eastern regiones, in addition to the discovery of buildings of great prestige (the Villa of the Mysteries and the House of Menander are worth mentioning), the completion of the delimitation of the city, the excavation of the necropolis of Porta Nocera, and the methodical beginning of the exploration of the strata below the level of AD 79, in search of Pompeii's most ancient phases, are also worthy of note. From the second half of the 20th century onwards, in order to guarantee the adequate conservation of the extensive area of the city already unearthed, extensive exploration was eschewed in favour of systematic conservation work and targeted excavation campaigns with simultaneous restoration. This approach was particularly adopted following the damage caused by the 1980 earthquake. Furthermore, excavations were conducted in the Insula occidentalis, the suburban baths outside Porta Marina, the house of Julius Polybius in regio IX, the blocks of regiones I and II overlooking the Via di Nocera and the Via dell'Abbondanza, and finally, the house of the Casti Amanti.