Stunning fresco unearthed in Pompeii pieced together by experts

A stunning fresco buried beneath the ashes of Pompeii for nearly 2,000 years has been brought back to life in remarkable detail.

The vibrant painting, which depicts a famous scene in Greek mythology, once decorated the vaulted ceiling of a dining room where guests gathered for lavish banquets.

It crashed to the floor during the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, which killed at least 2,000 people.

Archaeologists have now meticulously pieced part of the ceiling back together using more than 1,000 fragments, revealing vivid scenes from the Greek myth of Dionysus and Ariadne.

The restored fresco shows Dionysus reclining on a chariot opposite Ariadne, accompanied by the winged god Eros and music–playing centaurs in one of antiquity’s best–known love stories.

Researchers believe the lavish artwork once overlooked extravagant banquets held in the luxurious home, known as the ‘House with Bakery’.

Only a quarter of the ceiling has been rebuilt so far, suggesting the colourful painting could become even more spectacular as restoration work continues.

And it offers a glimpse at the artistic splendour that decorated Pompeii’s elite homes before the doomed city was frozen in time by one of history’s most devastating volcanic eruptions

The vibrant painting, which depicts a famous scene in Greek mythology, once decorated the vaulted ceiling of a dining room where guests gathered for banquets

Archaeologists have now meticulously pieced park of the ceiling back together using more than 1,000 fragments

For the reconstruction, experts used a curved support designed to recreate the ceiling’s original shape before it collapsed.

The flexible support also means each newly identified fragment can be fitted into the reconstruction over time.

Even with large sections still missing, the ceiling already boasts colourful borders, flower garlands, winged figures and seasonal symbols in bright colours and intricate patterns.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, highlighted the importance of this work.

He said: ‘Italy is a world leader in archaeological restoration and Pompeii, with its team of conservators, is a central part of that.

‘That is why we are happy to share the results of our conservation projects with the whole world, as these projects are always opportunities for research and exchange.’

The House with Bakery, which belonged to a wealthy Pompeian magistrate, has already been the site of several major discoveries.

The cramped bakery, which was attached to the main house, had barred windows and was believed to be where enslaved people were forced to work.

The ceiling already boasts colourful borders, flower garlands, winged figures and seasonal symbols in bright colours and intricate patterns

The project was presented at the Palestra Grande of the Pompeii Archaeological Park after the International Workshop on Ongoing Excavations and Research

Every fragment is carefully collected during renovations and labelled so their original location is recorded Conservators remove dirt and ash before pH๏τographing, scanning and measuring every fragment to create a digital recordExperts match fragments by comparing the colours, brushstrokes, cracks, thickness of the plaster and the shape of broken edgesIf the fresco decorated a vaulted ceiling or arch, conservators build a specially shaped support that mirrors the ancient structure before fitting the pieces togetherMissing sections are usually left plain or filled with neutral plaster so visitors can distinguish ancient artwork from modern repairs Hundreds or even thousands of fragments may need to be matched, and newly discovered pieces can still be added long after the initial reconstruction is complete

The home is thought to have been undergoing renovations when it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

However, the remains of three victims have been found in one of the bakery’s rooms, indicating the home still had occupants. It is believed these enslaved people were forced to grind the grain needed to produce bread.

The bakery itself was completely cut off from the outside world, with the only exit leading to the main hall of the house.

‘It is, in other words, a space in which we have to imagine the presence of people of servile status whose freedom of movement the owner felt the need to restrict,’ Mr Zuchtriegel previously said.

‘It is the most shocking side of ancient slavery, the one devoid of both trusting relationships and promises of manumission, where we were reduced to brute violence, an impression that is entirely confirmed by the securing of the few windows with iron bars.’

The eruption of Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago is considered one of the biggest natural disasters of the ancient world.

Many people were killed as they attempted to flee the volcano’s pyroclastic flow, an avalanche of gas, ash and rock reaching 800°C (1,500°F) and travelling at 450 miles per hour (700 km/h).

These cascading ashes entombed the victims, setting into a hard layer that captured their final moments in incredible detail.

Last year, researchers announced the discovery of a luxurious private bathhouse in the tragic Roman city.

The doctor who desperately tried to save Pompeii’s victims: Study reveals how one man was clinging on to a medical kit as he was engulfed by Vesuvius’ eruption

The bathhouse included a huge plunge pool, H๏τ, warm and cold rooms, frescoes and a marble mosaic floor.

Experts believe it was potentially the largest of its kind within a private home in Pompeii. Only the super–wealthy would have been able to afford their own personal spa.

Inside the residence were the remains of two people who had barricaded themselves in a small room following the eruption, only for the man to be crushed by a collapsed wall and the woman killed by a flood of superheated volcanic gas and ash.

How Pompeii and Herculaneum were wiped off the map by devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius 2,000 years ago

What happened?  

Mount Vesuvius erupted in the year AD 79, burying the cities of Pompeii, Oplontis, and Stabiae under ashes and rock fragments, and the city of Herculaneum under a mudflow.  

Mount Vesuvius, on the west coast of Italy, is the only active volcano in continental Europe and is thought to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.  

Every single resident died instantly when the southern Italian town was hit by a 500°C pyroclastic H๏τ surge.

Pyroclastic flows are a dense collection of H๏τ gas and volcanic materials that flow down the side of an erupting volcano at high speed.

They are more dangerous than lava because they travel faster, at speeds of around 450mph (700 km/h), and at temperatures of 1,000°C.

An administrator and poet called Pliny the younger watched the disaster unfold from a distance. 

Letters describing what he saw were found in the 16th century.  

His writing suggests that the eruption caught the residents of Pompeii unaware.

Mount Vesuvius erupted in the year AD 79, burying the cities of Pompeii, Oplontis, and Stabiae under ashes and rock fragments, and the city of Herculaneum under a mudflow

He said that a column of smoke ‘like an umbrella pine’ rose from the volcano and made the towns around it as black as night.

People ran for their lives with torches, screaming and some wept as rain of ash and pumice fell for several hours.  

While the eruption lasted for around 24 hours, the first pyroclastic surges began at midnight, causing the volcano’s column to collapse.

An avalanche of H๏τ ash, rock and poisonous gas rushed down the side of the volcano at 124mph (199kph), burying victims and remnants of everyday life.  

Hundreds of refugees sheltering in the vaulted arcades at the seaside in Herculaneum, clutching their jewelry and money, were killed instantly.

The Orto dei fuggiaschi (The garden of the Fugitives) shows the 13 bodies of victims who were buried by the ashes as they attempted to flee Pompeii during the 79 AD eruption of the Vesuvius volcano

As people fled Pompeii or hid in their homes, their bodies were covered by blankets of the surge.

While Pliny did not estimate how many people died, the event was said to be ‘exceptional’ and the number of deaths is thought to exceed 10,000.

What have they found?

This event ended the life of the cities but at the same time preserved them until rediscovery by archaeologists nearly 1700 years later.

The excavation of Pompeii, the industrial hub of the region and Herculaneum, a small beach resort, has given unparalleled insight into Roman life.

Archaeologists are continually uncovering more from the ash-covered city.

In May archaeologists uncovered an alleyway of grand houses, with balconies left mostly intact and still in their original hues.

A plaster cast of a dog, from the House of Orpheus, Pompeii, AD 79. Around 30,000 people are believed to have died in the chaos, with bodies still being discovered to this day

Some of the balconies even had amphorae – the conical-shaped terra cotta vases that were used to hold wine and oil in ancient Roman times.

The discovery has been hailed as a ‘complete novelty’ – and the Italian Culture Ministry hopes they can be restored and opened to the public.

Upper stores have seldom been found among the ruins of the ancient town, which was destroyed by an eruption of Vesuvius volcano and buried under up to six meters of ash and volcanic rubble.

Around 30,000 people are believed to have died in the chaos, with bodies still being discovered to this day.