Ancient roman home opens after 36 years

HERCULANEUM: One of Italy’s most beautiful ancient Roman houses, which was buried under tonnes of ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, has reopened to the public 36 years after it was shuttered in disrepair.

Using innovative techniques, a team of restorers have saved the sumptuous artwork in the so-called Bicentenary House, a three-storey building in Herculaneum which, like its more famous neighbour Pompeii, was devastated by the nearby volcano.

The house was initially discovered in 1938 and was given its name because it was the 200th anniversary of excavations that had revealed the existence of the long-lost city.

“It’s a jewel in this site and the opening of it today really marks a great occasion for the whole revival of the site and for this piece of heritage, which is unique in the world,” said Leslie Rainer, an expert at the Getty Conservation Institute, which helped on the project.

A much smaller city than Pompeii, Herculaneum’s ruins are more dense and better preserved because they were buried in a much deeper mass of ash, which deterred thieves. It was also a wealthier place resulting in particularly striking remains.

Bicentenary House was home to Gaius Petronius Stephanus and his wife Calantonia Themis. It was one of the city’s finest private houses, with well-preserved mosaic floors and frescoes depicting mythological scenes and architectural and animal motifs.