From the sumptuous frescoes of
the Hunting Lodge (Casa della Caccia) to the exquisite
decorations of the House of Apollo (Casa di Apollo) and vivid
reliefs of the Trojan War, Pompeii is seducing visitors this
summer with 10 newly restored houses, some of which had never
been open to the public before.
After long controversy regarding the lack of personnel at
Pompeii, the ministry of culture has dispatched 30 new keepers
for the holiday season, a State exam to select new janitors is
in the works, and extended opening hours on Friday mean the
public can stroll through the ruins after sundown.
Tourists are enjoying the new sites: more than 13,000
visitors flocked to Pompeii on the August 15 national religious
holiday, bringing proceeds in excess of 114,000 euros, while 122
people decided to explore the city preserved in lava during
night visiting hours.
The 10 new houses include the Thermopolium (Latin for
restaurant) of Vetutius Placidus, where people could buy cooked
food to go. It boasts shrines to Mercury and Dionysus (the gods
of commerce and wine, respectively), a dining hall, and an
adjoining mansion with a vestibule, a garden, and a dining room.
The Ancient Hunting Lodge (Casa della Caccia Antica) is
another must-see at Pompeii.
According to experts, it had just undergone renovation when
it was buried under meters of ash and pumice in the eruption of
Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. An extensive hunting scene is still
visible on one of its garden walls, and its interiors are
luxuriously decorated with beautiful paintings and marble-like
coverings.
Also noteworthy are the Domus Cornelia and its exquisite
sculptures, the House of Apollo adorned with images of the god
to which it owes its name, and the House of Achilles with its
impressive reliefs of the Trojan war.
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