Once a thriving Roman city, Pompeii was home to around 20,000 people and benefited from a community amphitheatre, shops, elegant villas, vegetable gardens and narrow cobblestone streets. Yet the city was positioned at the base of Mount Vesuvius and in AD 79 the volcano erupted, preserving Pompeii beneath a lethal layer of ash. Today, visitors can experience a fascinating portrait of Roman daily life, witnessing the ruins of ancient temples, thermal baths and the frescoes inside the House of the Vettii.
Everything you need to know about the tragic tale of Pompeii