Pompeii, an ancient city frozen in time by a volcanic eruption, offers the best insight into the daily life of the Romans. A prosperous port and trading town, it was completely covered by a shower of ash when Mt Vesuvius erupted on 24 August AD 79. It was only in 1748 that it was thoroughly excavated, revealing well preserved ruins. Thanks to the protection afforded by the ash layer, many of the buildings have survived, complete with grafiti and paintings on the walls of the villas, sculpture, and street pavement. There are so many sites that it takes a full day to tour everything. The archelogical site of Pompei is part of a
UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising also Ercolano, and Torre Annunziata.
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