Pompeii

Archaeological excavations in Pompeii (the third most visited archaeological site in Italy) have returned the remains of the city of ancient Pompeii, near the hill of Civita, on the outskirts of modern Pompeii, buried under a blanket of ash and lapilli during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79, along with Herculaneum, Stabiae and Oplonti. The findings following the excavations, which began at the behest of Charles III of Bourbon, are some of the best evidence of Roman life, as well as the best-preserved city of that era; most of the recovered artifacts (in addition to simple everyday furnishings, also frescoes, mosaics and statues), are now kept at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples and a small amount in the currently closed Antiquarium of Pompeii: precisely the considerable quantity of artifacts has been useful in providing an understanding of the customs, food habits and art of life more than two millennia ago.