When Vesu­vius erupt­ed on 24 August AD 79, it engulfed the two flour­ish­ing Roman towns of Pom­pei and Her­cu­la­neum, as well as the many wealthy vil­las in the area. These have been pro­gres­sive­ly exca­vat­ed and made acces­si­ble to the pub­lic since the mid-18th cen­tu­ry. The vast expanse of the com­mer­cial town of Pom­pei con­trasts with the small­er but bet­ter-pre­served remains of the hol­i­day resort of Her­cu­la­neum, while the superb wall paint­ings of the Vil­la Oplon­tis at Torre Annun­zi­a­ta give a vivid impres­sion of the opu­lent lifestyle enjoyed by the wealth­i­er cit­i­zens of the Ear­ly Roman Empire.