POMPEJI & Herculaneum

Life and death under the volcano

Covering 900 square meters, you experiencee everyday life in Rome in the 1st century AD, the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD and its consequences, as well as spectacular finds that have come to light during excavations since the 18th century.

The exhibition transported visitors to the vibrant city of Pompeii. The inhabitants enjoyed the sweet life – la dolce vita – here on the Gulf of Naples before the catastrophe brought it to an abrupt end. The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD wiped out the two Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum within a few hours. What remains are snapshots of everyday Roman life that are normally denied to us by archaeological traditions.

The exhibition showed some of the famous plaster casts of people at the moment of their death. Jewelry and tableware, hidden at the last moment, reveal the inhabitants' hope of being able to return to their homes after the dramatic rescue operation. Bread, fruit, wooden furniture, and wall paintings have been preserved in excellent quality nowhere else.

An exhibition by