Sanp Pompeii Handout/EPA/Shutterstock(POMPEII, Italy) — Mt. Vesuvius, near the city of Pompeii, Italy, erupted in 79 A.D., wiping out an entire town. Hundreds of years later, archaeologists found a perfectly preserved city buried in ash and frozen in time.
Just recently, an extraordinary discovery was unearthed in a large villa that stood just outside the walls of Pompeii, far from the known archaeological area, during a joint operation of the Carabinieri of the Cultural Heritage Protection Center and Pompeii archaeological superintendence.
Archaeologists working at the site uncovered buildings with big balconies, Pompeian red colors and geometric decorations of flowers and animals. They named it the Vicolo dei Balconi (Alley of Balconies). The area was previously unexcavated.
As the work continues, another previously discovered area, The Domus delle Nozze d’ Argento, will be viewable once again. The most precious domus (dwelling) of the ancient Roman city in Pompeii, discovered and restored between 1893 and 1910, has been closed to the public for decades. The director of the archaeological park of Pompeii, Massimo Osanna, announced the restorations of the Domus will start, which will “finally allow” the reopening the site to the public in fall 2019.
The Domus has a huge and sumptuous atrium with four Corinthian columns more than 26 feet high, multicolored frescoes, refined floors and a small private spa decorated with mosaics and frescoes depicting lions, wild boars and panthers.
Almost 2,000 years after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and decades of excavation, the newly restored areas will be on view to tourists who want a deeper insight into Roman life from years long gone.
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