The "House of the Vettii" in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in southern Italy, famous for its erotic frescoes, has reopened after being closed for renovations for 12 years.
The residence was home to two successful merchant brothers, Aulus and Conviva Vettius Restitutus, until an eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in AD 79 devastated the city.
“Pompeii is one of the places that makes you feel at home and at ease, in touch with civilization itself,” declared Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni during the inauguration.
The Vettii domus has the main erotic frescoes in Pompeii. Photo: Ansa
The domus – as the houses were called at the time – of the Vettii was one of the richest and most famous in Pompeii and is “protected” by Priapus, the Greek god of fertility, whose figure is portrayed to the right of the entrance door. Now, thanks to restorations, the image of the son of Dionysus and Aphrodite has had its yellow and brown colors revitalized.
However, the residence's most surprising rooms remain closed to tourists. The director of the Archaeological Superintendence of Pompeii, Massimo Osanna, promised that the restoration of these environments will soon begin, including an area adjacent to the kitchen that has a lararium - an altar dedicated to the house's protective deities - painted on the wall.
There you can also admire the main erotic paintings of the domus, which still need to undergo restoration. For now, visitors will have to content themselves with frescoes depicting mythological scenes.
Gentiloni himself stated that “much more” can still be done to enhance the archaeological site of Pompeii. The prime minister's idea is to make the place accessible almost every day, with an accommodation system capable of increasing tourism in the southern region of the country, transforming it into the engine of its economic recovery.
By Ansa Agency
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