Reliving Mount Vesuvius Eruption During Night Tours of Herculaneum
A new walking tour within the archeological site of Herculaneum offers visitors the chance to relive the 79 AD Vesuvius eruption through the narration of author and historian Pliny.
The tour, named “Pliny’s Night”, is held every Sunday and Wednesday nights through summer, with four visits scheduled per night with a maximum of 30 people per group.
The tour, led by an archeologist, starts in the reception area, where visitors can observe multimedia installations of Herculaneum mosaics, curated by the Museo Archeologico Virtuale di Ercolano. The visit continues to the upper level to see Herculaneum’s homes, including the House of the Skeleton, the House of the Black Sitting Room and the Terrace of Roman politician Marco Nonio Balbo. The tour ends in the Terme Suburbane, the ancient thermal complex normally closed to the public, with a performance that includes theater, music and luminous installations. Actor Luca Iervolino plays Pliny the Young to deliver a monologue where he illustrates the last moments of the night of the eruption, when his uncle, Pliny the Elder, lost his life.
Tours begin at 8:30 pm, the last departs at 10 pm. The tours continue until September 13. The visit is offered in English, while the performance is only in Italian.
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