Italian archaeological park reopens iconic ancient house to boost tourism

The Art Newspaper unveils its article that the ancient coastal city located just outside Italy's Naples continues attracting attention as ongoing preservation efforts and selective public openings bring its stunning archaeological finds into the spotlight. 

The archaeological park of Herculaneum in Campania, Italy, has reopened one of its most impressive ancient homes, the Casa della Gemma, for a limited time of four months. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to increase visitor numbers while ensuring the preservation of ancient heritage for future generations.

The Casa della Gemma, believed to have been the residence of the family of Roman proconsul Marco Nonio Balbo, is named after a gem found at the site, which features an engraving of a woman from the era of Emperor Claudius. By the time of the Augustan period, the house spanned 1,800 square meters across three levels, making it the second-largest dwelling in Herculaneum. Today, it is renowned for its stunning floor mosaics, well-preserved frescoes, and Pompeian red-painted walls.

Although the domus was first uncovered by archaeologists in 1934, it was not opened to the public until 2022 for a four-month trial period. Since then, it has been periodically opened and closed. 

Now, visitors can once again enjoy the space during morning hours until April 8. “We are pleased to announce the gradual reopening of various domus, starting with the Casa della Gemma,” said Francesco Sirano, director of the archaeological park, in a statement. “The cyclical opening of this and other buildings helps to reduce the wear and tear caused by constant tourist traffic, allowing us to better manage visitor flow throughout the site and across different times of the year.”

Located less than 10 km from Naples, the ancient coastal city of Herculaneum was buried by pumice and ash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, much like nearby Pompeii. This catastrophic event led to the death of many inhabitants but also helped preserve the city, providing archaeologists with rare glimpses into ancient life. While parts of the site have been excavated since the early 18th century, mismanagement in the 1980s led to its deterioration.

In 2001, the Packard Humanities Institute, a California-based conservation nonprofit, launched the Herculaneum Conservation Project to assist public authorities in developing a long-term preservation plan for the site. Since the establishment of the Herculaneum Archaeological Park in 2016, which manages part of a UNESCO World Heritage site that also includes Pompeii and Torre Annunziata, more landmarks have been gradually reopened to the public. These include the ancient theater in 2018, the richly decorated Casa del Bicentenario the following year, and the city’s beach area in June of last year.

In 2023, Herculaneum attracted 560,000 visitors—a record for the site, though still far fewer than the nearly four million who visited Pompeii that same year.

By Naila Huseynova