Ancient Roman villa — where eruption of Mount Vesuvius could be seen — found in Italy

Aspen Pflughoeft
·2 min read
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As ash and lava spewed out of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., everything stopped for people in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. The devastating volcanic eruption was visible to the occupants of nearby cities — including a home archaeologists recently unearthed.

Archaeologists uncovered the ruins while working along a beach in Miseno, Italy, the Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Naples Metropolitan Area said in a Jan. 10 news release. The beach had been inaccessible for years due to overgrown weeds. The city recently took control of the land to turn it into a public beach.

Underneath the weeds, archaeologists found the remnants of a monumental ancient Roman villa, officials said. Photos shared on Facebook by the Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Naples Metropolitan Area show the ruins.

The ruins of the 1,900-year-old villa in Miseno.
The ruins of the 1,900-year-old villa in Miseno.

The villa had at least 10 rooms and stretched down to the waterfront, archaeologists said. Some structures are underwater.

Archaeologists said the home dated back to the first century A.D. and was 1,900 years old.

Based on the villa’s age and location, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried Pompeii would have been visible from the home, archaeologists said.

Ruins of the 1,900-year-old villa in Miseno.
Ruins of the 1,900-year-old villa in Miseno.

Miseno, Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius are all located within the Naples Metropolitan Area. Miseno is along the western side of the Gulf of Naples; Pompeii and the volcano are along the eastern side. The two towns are about 20 miles apart by water.

Archaeologists suspect the newfound villa was used by the ancient Roman naval fleet that was commanded by Pliny the Elder and could be the location where the iconic scholar watched the eruption of Vesuvius before sailing to help. Archaeologists noted that this hypothesis has not been verified.

A view of Mount Vesuvius from across the water in Miseno.
A view of Mount Vesuvius from across the water in Miseno.

Officials said they hope to continue excavations of the villa’s underwater ruins.

Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Naples Metropolitan Area. Facebook Translate was used to translate the post from the Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Naples Metropolitan Area.

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