The historic museum at Pompeii reopens with fresh exhibits
Giuseppe Fiorelli initially constructed the Antiquarium Pompeii in the space beneath the Temple of Venus’ terrace between 1873 and 1874. At that time, it served as the display area for casts of the victims of Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in addition to a variety of artifacts that represented the everyday activities of the old city.
Amedeo Maiuri added extensive charts in 1926 that showed the most recent advancements in the excavations since 1748. In addition to adding fresh pompeii artifacts from the Villa Pisanella of Boscoreale and more recent excavations of Via dell’Abbondanza, he also designed a path that would take visitors through Pompeii’s history, from its beginnings to the eruption.
The structure suffered significant damage from World War II bombing in 1943, but Maiuri’s repair efforts allowed it to reopen for visitors five years later, in time for the commemoration of the second centennial of the Pompeii excavations. After the 1980 earthquake caused damage, it was shut to the public once more. It stayed closed for 36 years before reopening as a visitor center featuring transient museum displays in 2016.
The recent improvements offer an introduction tour prior to an actual visit to the site, evoking memories of Amedeo Maiuri’s original design for the museum. The most well-known items from Pompeii, including the triclinium of the House of Menander, the Moregine Silver Treasure, and the frescoes of the House of the Golden Bracelet, are on display for visitors, together with discoveries made during the Archaeological Park’s most recent excavations. These include the recently created castings of the victims from the Civita Giuliana home, the amulet treasure from the House with the Garden, and pieces of First Style stucco from the House of Orion.
Visitors can choose from two types of digital content: a web-bot, which is a digital assistant that offers straightforward and understandable service information, and audio narration.