Herculaneum

Herculaneum is an ancient Roman town on the Bay of Naples that was entombed in 79 AD when Vesuvius unleashed a torrent of pyroclastic material that hardened to a depth of up to 20 metres. Unlike Pompeii, which was buried under dry ash, the wet volcanic mud that engulfed Herculaneum preserved organic materials — timber beams, wooden furniture, food, and even a library of carbonised scrolls — with a fidelity unmatched anywhere else in the ancient world. Systematic excavations began in the 18th century under Bourbon patronage, though much of the site still lies beneath the modern town of Ercolano. Today, visitors walk original Roman streetscapes past two-storey insulae, thermopolia (fast-food counters), and bathhouses whose frescoes and mosaics remain largely in situ. The site opens from 08:30 to 15:30 and is operated by the Soprintendenza di Pompei, Ercolano e Stabia.