The ancient city of Pompeii, providing some of the most valuable evidence of the past which has been handed down to us, is situated on the slopes of Vesuvius, a short distance from the sea.

Following its position in 62 A.D. a violent erthquake interrupted a period of serenity. The city, as many buildings brought to light by excavations show, suffered appreciable damage, but was able to react energetically to regain the prosperity ensured by the flourishing economy and its now typical appearance: the reconstruction work soon began, but it took an unusually long time due the extent of the demage.

But on 79 A.D. on a tragic morning of 24th August, Pompeii, which as fate would have it had developed on land which had originated from a stream of lava which had erupted from Vesuvius, woke up to discover that the fertile mountain on whose slopes it stood was in fact a volcano which had until then remained inactive.

Unlike Herculaneum and other cities, hit by a true river of mud, Pompeii was struck by a gigantic cloud of poisonous gases, ashes, lapilli and incandescent stones which deposited on the city burying it by about seven meters.
Some of the inhabitants, sensing the unusual scope of the catastrophe, attempted to escape towards the sea, where however many met their deaths, while those who remained in the city to recover as many belongings as possible before running away, hoping in vain that the violence of the volcano would cease or that they could take refuge in underground rooms of the buildings, were suffocated by the ashes and by the lethal fumes of the cloud: chilling testimonials of these desperate attempts are the plaster casts of bodies scattered.

The town is one of the most visited cities in the world and the excavations, which began in the 18th century, are still being carried out today.

Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, with approximately 2.5 million visitors annually.