Herculaneum

Herculaneum (Ercolano) is an interesting and evocative city that stands out for its peculiarity. The Greeks, who dedicated it to Hercules, founded it on the slopes of Vesuvius. The ancient city was destroyed by the famous 79 CE eruption: it was ruined by a terrible avalanche of mud which, winding its way through the streets of the city towards the sea, trapped the buildings inside it, conserving them practically intact. Herculaneum was the first of the towns destroyed by Vesuvius to be discovered. Excavations on the city began in the 18th Century and carried on notwithstanding enormous difficulties. Today, only a fraction of the ancient center has been liberated from the bank of Tufa which overcame it, and on which the current city is built. A must visit for history enthusiasts.