The guide to the new layout of the Antiquarium of Pompeii takes the visitor on a veritable journey through time to discover the history of the city from its origins in the sixth century BC until the eruption of 79 AD.

The book, in a bilingual Italian/English edition, guides us through the spaces of the Antiquarium of Pompeii, redesigned and rearranged so as to be integrated with the excavations and the “diffused museum” consisting of the complex of archaeological sites in the area, from the new museum at Villa Quisisana, and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (National Archaeological Museum) in Naples. The new Antiquarium houses the permanent exhibition of the Parco Archeologico (Archaeological Park) collection, enriched by the latest important discoveries. The exhibition sequence tells the story of Pompeii from its origins to the eruption that decreed its end, and at the same time its immortality, thanks to the work of rediscovery that has continued to amaze researchers and visitors for decades. The sequence of 12 exhibition rooms is divided into sections: Prima di Roma (Before Rome), Roma vs Pompei (Rome vs Pompeii), Pompeis difficile est, Tota Italia, Hic habitat felicitas, A fundamentis reficere and L’ultimo giorno (The Last Day), telling Pompeii’s story, but also the exploits of scholars, researchers and a hero of archaeology such as Amedeo Maiuri (1886 – 1963), who worked on the excavations and after World War II organized the exhibition of finds, casts of victims, everyday objects and statuary. The exhibition circuit that told the public about the findings resisted until the earthquake which, in the early 1980s, compromised its integrity. Now, the Antiquarium has reopened, introducing visitors to the wonders found in the excavations.