Very few people are
aware that
Today, after forty years the Antiquarium has finally fully reopened. It offers an introduction to what Pompeii has to offer through its display of artifacts going back to the 4th century BC.
Visitors will be
treated to objects of daily use, including tableware among which a rare silver
dining set. Also exhibited are more decorative items like frescos and mosaics,
as well as an array of marble and bronze statues. The casts of people who fell
victim to the eruption of
At the time of
the disaster, it is estimated that Pompeii counted
some 12,000 inhabitants. Although the majority of the population was able to
escape the catastrophe, the total death toll in Pompeii and
The
first excavations in Pompeii started in 1738 but the museum was created only around 1873. Archaeology was still
in its infancy and excavations at the site were interrupted and restarted
repeatedly depending mainly upon the money that was made available. Work has
intensified since 2012 when scholars and specialists would deploy all the modern
technology that is available nowadays. Among the most recent discoveries is,
for instance, a charcoal inscription suggesting that the eruption of
[The goddess Venus stands on a quadriga drawn by elephants in this first-century A.D. fresco (Courtesy of Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities / Archaeological Park of Pompeii) Smithsonian Mag]
We only have a vague idea of the museum’s content and the bombing that occurred during World War II destroyed hundreds of artifacts. By 1948, however, the museum reopened but was forced to close once again in 1980 after being hit by a severe earthquake. Since 2016, the museum received several temporary exhibitions but it is only now, in 2021, that all the rooms and all the treasures are accessible for all to admire!
Didnt know about this museum... wish to visit one day...
ReplyDeleteYes, one day ... as soon as this Covid pandemic allows us!
ReplyDelete