The largest house in Pompeii – Villa dei Misteri (Villa of the Mysteries), reopened fully to the public after two years of painstaking restoration. This villa, famous for its frescoes of the cult of Bacchus or Dionysus, is now completed for visitors. Culture Minister Dario Franceschini cut the ribbon on the renovated site and said, “”We know the world looks to Pompeii with scrupulous attention. Today Italy is proud to tell the world: ‘We have turned over a new leaf in Pompeii.’”
The Villa was first discovered in excavations in 1909 and was well-preserved despite the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, which covered it in a layer of over 30 feet of volcanic ash. The recent restoration work tried to fix some damages made during the 1930s’ restoration which tried to preserve the frescoes, but ultimately the faded colors. The restoration work started in May, 2013 and carried out in sections to allow part of the villa to stay open for visitors. However, they closed the site entirely for three months prior to Friday’s opening to allow uninterrupted repairs to its mosaic floor.
