Pompeii’s “Sistine Chapel” reopens

The House of the Vettii, renowned for its mythological frescoes preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79, has reopened to the public after a 20-year restoration

 
POMPEII
150m 500 ft
Amphitheatre

Large theatre

1700s: Excavation of Pompeii begins. House of Vettii excavated 1894-95


Pompeii
ITALY
Rome


House of Vettii: Well preserved domus*, built in second century BC and owned by two former slaves

Peristyle garden

Punishment of Ixion: Depicts Ixion, son of Ares, being punished for betraying Zeus

*Upper class Roman town house


5km 3 miles

Mount Vesuvius

Ercolano (Herculaneum)

Gulf of Naples

Pompeii


AD79: Vesuvius erupts, burying cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under layer of pumice and ash 6-7m deep


Sources: BBC, Guardian, Pompeii Sites
Pictures: Google Maps, Creative Commons 
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