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On the night of August 24, AD 79, Vesuvius went into a rage . So much so, that he buried the city of Pompeii under a blanket of ash more than 30 meters deep. The description of such brutality was already sentenced by Marco Valerio Marcial (40-104 AD), one of the most outstanding Spanish-Roman poets of Antiquity : "Not even the gods of heaven would have wanted them to be allowed to do something like this."

Thousands of people died, there are even 25,000, although the exact number of those who died has never been known in what is now considered the most famous archaeological complex in the world. It is also one of the most visited, with nearly three million tourists every year, being the most popular outdoor venue in Italy, next to the Colosseum in Rome.

The latest discoveries

Closed since the coronavirus pandemic began, unconditional fans (numbering in the millions) of the site, located in the Campania region, 25 kilometers from Naples, now have the opportunity to leisurely gaze at it from home like never before. before: a virtual drone-strike tour with stops at some of the latest finds.

The Pompeii Archaeological Park has shared these days on YouTube the video made with a drone and narrated by its director, Massimo Osanna , which allows you to see from home and from a bird's eye view the monumentality of such a site, declared a World Heritage Site by the Unesco in 1997.

Among the new discoveries that appear, the Houses of the Garden and Orion stand out . In the first, with an outstanding portico, the remains of 11 people who died from the eruption of Vesuvius have even been found , as well as frescoes starring Venus and Adonis. The name of the house refers to the garden that the archaeologists found in the first place and that they want to recover almost in their fullness, as Osanna tells in the video.

The Orion myth in mosaic form

For its part, the House of Orion has a mosaic that shows this giant of Greek mythology half man half scorpion with butterfly wings included, I consider a true masterpiece by the researchers of the complex. In it you can also see a cobra as a symbol of Earth, from which a scorpion stands out, responsible for the death of Orion.

Remains of some of those killed by the eruption.

Almost five centuries have had to pass to find these historical treasures since the site was not discovered until 1550. Of course, the real work of disentangling the city would not arrive until the 18th century from the hand of King Carlos III of Spain and VII from Naples, who personally insisted on the feat thinking that hidden treasures of great value would be found, not in its historical interest. Not surprisingly, it was a Spanish engineer, Roque Joaquín de Alcubierre, who rediscovered Pompeii in 1748, finding a good number of buildings almost intact.

Throughout the 150 hectares of the ruins of Pompeii (and the video with the drone) you can visit villas such as the Mysteries, temples such as Apollo or Jupite , the forum, the amphitheater, food markets ( macellum ), shops, brothels , common houses, hot springs or buildings like the one in Eumaquía, which housed the dry cleaners and laundries, not forgetting the molds of several deceased people whom the eruption surprised trying to escape.

Other exhibitions 'online'

Those who have only recently learned about this drone flight can take a look at other virtual tours centered on the site, such as the one offered by the Grand Palais in Paris through its Pompeii exhibition . Immersive tour. Archaeological treasures. New discoveries , which he planned to open to the public from March 25 to June 8 of this year. The Covid-19 prevented its inauguration, but it is available online at this link, where you can go through the history of Pompeii in 360 -degree projections and reconstructions in very high definition from the time of its splendor to that of its destruction, including the last excavations carried out.

Through the website of Visitavirtual360.com, carried out by a group of professionals in cinematographic art, photography and computing dedicated to virtual tours in 360 degrees, it is also possible to tour Pompeii step by step through public buildings, streets, shops and houses that fell under Vesuvius that hot summer night in 79.

In accordance with the criteria of The Trust Project

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