The eruption of 79 a.C. buried the town under a rain of ashes. It was a flourishing commercial centre with nearly 20.000 inhabitants.

Some finds were discovered by chance in the mid of 1600 but the excavations started in 1748 during the reign of Charles III of the Bourbon royal dynasty. The whole archaeological area has a surface of 66 hectares out of which 45 have been excavated.

In Pompei one can admire the forum, temples, theatres, an anfitheater and all kinds of houses and shops with beautiful frescos and mosaics.

Most of the finds of Pompei and Herculaneum are in the national archaeological museum of Naples.