Herculaneum site features

Wood that normally disappears. Doors, beams and furniture fragments show how Roman interiors were assembled. Their survival is a consequence of the eruption’s hot, oxygen-poor burial, not a typical feature of Roman archaeology.

The House of Neptune and Amphitrite. Its wall mosaic and garden arrangement show how a small house could turn a light well into a decorated interior.

The shoreline and boat houses. The lower edge holds the remains of people who waited for rescue. The vaulted rooms make the final moments of the town tangible without turning them into a spectacle.

The Villa dei Papiri is not on the ordinary route. The operator currently lists it as closed for excavation, maintenance, water-management, slope-restoration and accessibility works. Do not plan the visit around entering it.