A Destination

Ercolano was privileged to be covered by the eruption, the waves of cooled rock prohibiting would-be looters from tampering with the historic city. Similarly, the archaeological site benefited from being farther afield from Mussolini’s seat of power in Rome, evading the rushed digging that accompanied more localized ruins like the Coliseum and Tomb of Augustus. Today, the dig site stands as an archaeological park, open and inviting tourists from around the world who are savvy enough to seek it out. Its place as a piece of fascist propaganda has been ashed over in favor of shared scientific endeavors. The excavation and preservation of Ercolano is ongoing, illuminating the heartbreaking final moments of citizens stuck in a doomed sea-side town.