Costa del Vesuvio

Archaeological Digs The Archaeological Digs of Herculaneum are a little jewel for historians, archaeology buffs and visitors, who, walking along the Cardi and the Decumani of the old Roman city centre, can relive those ancient times, mainly thanks to the fact that most of the houses – the domus - and of the citizens’ meeting centres are still structurally sound. The pyroclastic fl ow that destroyed the city of Herculaneum in 79 A.D., after an eruption of the Vesuvius, had a particular make-up, which meant that instead of burning the buildings down, it smothered and preserved them through the ages. Among villas, shops, spas, temples and exciting frescos and mosaics that are still more or less intact, the visitor’s curiosity is aroused by a detail that is found only in this archaeological site: the flow of lava that accompanied the eruption enabled the conservation of the plebeian households, which were normally on the second floor, above the market shops, and can still be seen today, complete with staircases, attics, and the remains of furniture. The exciting discoveries include the Villa of the Papyri, a residence attributed to the nobleman Lucio Calpurnio Pisone, where inestimable archaeological fi nds have been uncovered. Many of the finds recovered are exhibited in a special section within the Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Opening and opening times:
8:30 to 19:30 (April-October: last admission 18.00);
8:30 to 17:00 (November to March: last admission 15.30).
Single ticket valid for one day: whole 11 euros, reduced 5.50 euros.
Ticket with access to 5 sites (Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplonti Stabia Boscoreale) valid for three days: full 20 Euros, reduced 10 EUR.

Free
for EU citizens under 18 or over 65
(*) Reduced: for EU citizens aged between 18 and 25 years of age and for school teachers of the European Union, with permanent contracts.