Archaeological Areas of Pompeii

Buried under layers of ash and rock for over 1500 years, the archaeological remains of Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Villa Oplontis at Torre Annunziata serve as windows into the past. The Roman town of Pompeii was buried alongside the summer retreat of Herculaneum and numerous lavish villas when Vesuvius erupted on the 24th of August, 79 CE. Excavations began full-swing in the mid-18th Century, although the site was discovered several years before in the 16th Century. Frozen in time, these well-preserved vestiges of a once-prosperous civilization are a vivid reflection of the day-to-day lives of its people. While the remnants of Pompeii and Herculaneum present a more generalized picture of Roman society, the Villa Oplontis depicts the opulent lifestyle enjoyed by the rich. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata, the baths, temples, burial sites, theaters and homes of Pompeii offer an invaluable insight into the history of the Roman Civilization.