Pompeii’s Historic Antiquarium Museum Reopens With New Artifacts
The Antiquarium of Pompeii is a museum that narrates the fascinating history of the city of Pompeii and it has reopened.
The ancient city of Pompeii has held fascination for many archaeologists and travelers alike. The Antiquarium of Pompeii is a museum, originally built between 1873 and 1874, that is home to many exhibits that tell the story of the ancient city from the 4th century BC until the volcano’s eruption in AD 79. The museum has reopened to visitors with new and fascinating exhibits.
The Antiquarium of Pompeii reopens
Originally built by Giuseppe Fiorelli between 1873 and 1874, the Antiquarium stands in the area below the terrace of the Temple of Venus in Pompeii. It has now reopened as a museum, where exhibits tell the story of the ancient city of Pompeii from the Samnite era (4th century BC) until the deadly eruption in AD 79.
While the Antiquarium exhibits the history of Pompeii, the building itself has quite an interesting history.
When it was first built, it was an exhibition venue for certain select finds that were representative of Pompeii’s daily life. It was also a home for the casts of the victims of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.
Amedeo Maiuir expanded the Antiquarium in 1926, by adding large maps giving details of the updated developments of the excavations made since 1748. He also added new finds from the Villa Pisanelle of Boscoreale to enhance the collection. Maiuir also added artifacts from excavations of Via dell’Abbondanza. With the maps, he laid out a route to guide visitors through the history of ancient Pompeii, telling its story from its origins up until the volcanic eruption.
The Antiquarium and World War II
Sadly, in 1943, the building was seriously damaged by bombing during World War II. However, thanks to Maiuri’s restoration works, the Antiquarium reopened to visitors five years later. At that time the second centenary of the Pompeii excavations was celebrated. During 1980, the building was once again damaged by an earthquake and remained closed for 36 years. It reopened as a visitor center with temporary museum exhibits in 2016.
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The newest renovations are similar to Amedeo Maiuri’s initial concept for the museum. They provide an introductory tour to guests before the actual visit to the site. Here, visitors can gaze on the most famous artifacts of the ancient city, including the Moregine Silver Treasure, the House of the Golden Bracelet and the triclinium of the House of Menander.
Other exhibits will include finds unearthed in the most recent excavations by the Archaeological Park. Among these finds is the amulet treasure from the House with the Garden, fragments of First Style stucco from the House of Orion, and recently acquired casts of victims found in the Civita Giuiliana villa.
Two forms of digital media are available to visitors, including a web-bot digital assistant that provides clear and simple service information, as well as an audio narration.
Readers can find more information about the Antiquarium from the official Pompeii website here.
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