More Pompeii houses to open to public

(ANSA) - Rome, February 25 - Visitors to the ancient Roman city of Pompeii will be able to see inside more buildings and explore extra features from the spring, officials said on Thursday.
    Additional sites that are due to open to the public include the large house of Julia Felix, an example of a luxurious ancient spa, the little House of the Orchard with its colourful frescoes, as well as the gardens of the House of Venus in the Shell. Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was stuck in time when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, burying inhabitants but preserving their houses.
    Visitors will soon be able to follow new routes around the site, and see some human casts that will be on show for the first time. The area open to the public is set to extend to about half of the 44 hectares that have been excavated, said Superintendent Massimo Osanna.
    "There has never been such vast possibilities for visiting Pompeii," Osanna said on the margins of a conference unveiling the archaeological site's new plans.
    The exhibition "Egypt Pompeii", including Egyptian art and statues, is due to open at the site on April 16.