• Andrew's TravelsAmalfi Coast WalkingTraveler
    Herculaneum
    View down to the boat housesBoat houses on what was the shore, where skeletons were foundView of a villa gardenLocal food was sold from the pots on the marble counterVillaThe doors are the original woodInside fountainMosaicLocal bathsLocal bathsVillaAn original windowMosaicMosaicLocal shopInside a place of worshipStatues at the museumA hydraWell preserved wooden furniture and other artefactsA preserved boatMap of Herculaneum

    Herculaneum (Ercalano)

    April 2 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Today, we visit both Herculaneum and Pompeii on an optional tour with a registered local guide (everyone on the Explore trip goes, of course).

    Herculaneum is an ancient Roman town buried (and preserved) by pyroclastic material (mainly volcanic particles) from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79; this preserved more wooden and organic materials than those at Pompeii. Herculaneum was buried beneath 16 meters of ash and mud during the eruption.

     Herculaneum was a wealthy town and a seaside retreat for the Roman elite, as reflected by the extraordinary density of luxurious houses featuring lavish use of coloured marble cladding and mosaics.

    It is a very well-preserved small site of 16-20 acres in size and fascinating to visit. Next stop, Pompeii!    Read more