Advertisement

Ancient Pompeii to open more homes to the public

The Local Italy
The Local Italy - [email protected]
Ancient Pompeii to open more homes to the public
A fresco of Venus in the House of Venus in the Shell. Photo: Carole Raddato/Flickr

More buildings than ever will be accessible to visitors to Pompeii from the spring, the site's officials said on Thursday.

Advertisement

The extra sites include the house of Julia Felix, an extravagant ancient spa, the Little House of the Orchard, which is home to colourful frescoes, and the gardens of the House of Venus in the Shell.

Tourists will also be able to see some human casts, shown for the first time, and an exhibition of Egyptian art and statues, called 'Egypt Pompeii', from mid-April.

New routes around the site will also be opened, allowing access to these new areas and also ensuring that the usual routes do not get worn out by the three million visitors who come to Pompeii each year.

Concerns were raised at a press conference last weekend when a Unesco representative blamed cruise tourists in particular for "ruining" the ancient city, which was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

The area open to the public will now cover 22 hectares - half of the excavated area.

"There have never been such vast possibilities for visiting Pompeii," Massimo Osanna, Superintendent of Pompeii, was quoted by Ansa as saying.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also