Together with Pompeii, the archaeological excavations of Herculaneum are among the most visited sites in Italy and every year attract thousands of tourists eager to admire the remains brought to light after the Vesuvian eruption of 79 AD. Buried under a blanket of mud, ash and lapilli, the ancient city of Herculaneum was discovered by chance at the beginning of the 18th century and since then excavations have continued up to the present day.
Today, most of the recovered artifacts are housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and since 2008 the Virtual Archaeological Museum has also been launched which shows Herculaneum before the eruption of Vesuvius. Managed by the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, in 1997 the site became part of the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The History of the Herculaneum Excavations
The legend of Dionysius of Halicarnassus tells how Herculaneum was founded by Hercules in 1243 BC, but according to historians the city was built by the Oscans in the 12th century BC. or perhaps by the Etruscans between the 10th and 8th centuries BC.
It was certainly conquered by the Greeks in 479 BC, and then came under the influence of the Samnites and the Romans in 89 BC. Herculaneum became a municipality inhabited by the Roman aristocracy, but already in 62 AD. was hit by a violent earthquake. Finally, it was entirely buried by the volcanic debris of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Over the centuries the memory of Herculaneum has almost disappeared, only to resurface in 1709, when the farmer Ambrogio Nocerino accidentally came across some pieces of marble while digging a well on behalf of Emanuele Maurizio of Lorraine Prince D'Elboeuf.
However, it was soon understood that the ruins found belonged to the ancient town buried by the Vesuvian eruption of 79 AD. In 1738 there was a new excavation session and in this same year the first map of the archaeological site was published. In 1750 it was discovered Villa of the Papyri, but in recent years the interest in Herculaneum has progressively waned due to the recent discovery of Pompeii.
In the wake of the success of the Pompeii excavations, in 1828 King Francis I gave new impetus to research, with the introduction of new exploratory techniques. Since the end of the 19th century, various archaeological campaigns have taken place, with important discoveries especially between 1960 and 1980. Over the last 40 years, further discoveries have therefore been made and what we can visit today at the site is only a small part of the original fabric urban of the city.
What to see at the Herculaneum excavations
Inside the Herculaneum excavations there are many things to visit, including domus, villas, spas and much more. The typical domus of Herculaneum was smaller than that of Pompeii and many of these homes were often lavishly decorated as holiday homes for the nobles of the time. In many cases they had porticoes with brick columns as an anti-seismic measure.
Let's take a look at some of the main attractions to be seen in the excavations of Herculaneum.
Forum Baths
The Central Baths of Herculaneum date back to the second half of the 1st century BC. and were discovered in 1931. According to Roman custom, they are divided into male and female sectors. It is still visibleapodyterium, that is, the changing room where they left their clothes before entering the spa. Here there are the calidarium (hot room), the frigidarium (cold room) and the tepidarium, where you can observe a magnificent mosaic with black and white tiles depicting a cupid, dolphins and squid.
Samnite House
It is one of the oldest residences in the city, built in the 2nd century BC. and known for its elegant Hellenic-style atrium. The walls have been repainted fourth style, while the floor is in cacciopesto. All the rooms of the house open up around the main atrium, with the upper part of the building consisting of a fake loggia with 3 Ionic columns. Various frescoes, mosaics and small figurines were then found.
Gem House
The name of this domus derives from the discovery of a jewel dating back to the time of Emperor Claudius, on which Livia's face is engraved. Originally the House of the Gem was a single house with the House of the Relief of Telephos and was owned by Marco Nonio Balbo. The two houses were then separated in the Augustan age. The building is located near the Suburban Baths and is distributed on two levels. At the entrance there are third style frescoes and polychrome marble, while the floor is made up of black and white mosaics.
Telefo Relief House.
Telefo Relief House
Built between 27 BC. and 14 AD, this domus was initially one with the Casa della Gemma, only to be subsequently divided. It is arranged on 3 overlapping levels and sculptures of Neo-Attic origin have been found inside, including the relief on the myth of Telephus, son of Hercules.
It is the largest domus after the Casa dell'Albergo and its Hellenistic atrium features columns supporting the upper rooms. The walls are covered with yellow frescoes in the third style.
Villa of the papyri
It is the only leisure villa found in Herculaneum and is located outside the city walls. It was brought to light in 1750 and today it is still partly buried. Damaged by the earthquake of 62 AD, it was in the process of being destroyed at the time of the eruption restoration. The Villa of the Papyri originally overhung the sea and is 258 meters long. Internally, 58 bronze statues, 21 marble statues and 1,700 papyri belonging to the house's library were recovered.
Fornici
The Fornici are the port's warehouses, also used as a shelter for boats. They are located on the beach which in Roman times was 500 meters closer than today. Inside they were recovered 3000 human skeletons of people who died in the eruption of 79 AD. The victims were killed while fleeing towards the sea, probably due to the high temperatures of the incandescent clouds produced by the volcano. In addition to the bodies, a Roman boat and the remains of an oarsman and a soldier with bags of coins, swords and chisels were found.
