Archaeology

Pompeii under X-ray: a map reveals fragilities and areas of expansion of the site

The Federico II study investigates the structural characteristics of the archaeological area and sets guidelines for future interventions

by Vera Viola

21 November 2024

3' min read

Key points

Research Convention of 2021
Widespread Archaeological Park
The agricultural park and promenade around the walls

3' min read

The archaeological area of Pompeii ends up under the X-ray of a team of scholars from the Federico II University of Naples who have placed the walls of the ancient city under observation for the first time, thanks also to the use of highly advanced technology. From the long work, a clear picture emerged of the walls that are safe and those that need to be monitored. In short, the map produced becomes an extraordinary guide for the planning to be done in the archaeological site that is one of the most prestigious in the world and as of this year the most visited monument in Italy with its 5 million visitors.

Research Convention of 2021

This is the fruit of work carried out thanks to a research, technical-scientific consultancy and teaching support agreement signed on 5 October 2021, between the Pompeii Archaeological Park and the University of Naples (as part of a framework agreement between the two institutions) involving scholars from the Department of Architecture (DiArc), with the collaboration of lecturers and scholars from the Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture (DiST), the Department of Earth Sciences (Distar) and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICEA), with the scientific coordination of Professor Renata Picone. The entire analysis was financed by the Pompeii Archaeological Park with 100,000 euro.

The Knowledge and Restoration Plan for Pompeii's Emerging Walls

The research involved the study of the walls that emerged from the ancient city, providing a complete and new picture compared to what was considered in the survey carried out as part of the Great Pompeii Project. Not only. Thanks to an accurate diagnostic survey and a critical study of the available sources, the conservation problems of the structures that emerged were also identified for the first time. This has made it possible to draw up guidelines for the restoration of the walls, another tool that provides the Pompeii Archaeological Park with scientific support and an operational guide for future work.

Variety of situations and interventions to be realised

A great heterogeneity of situations emerged due to various causes: multiple construction phases, intervening restorations, state of preservation, materials used at the time. Taking into account the variety of materials and construction techniques used on the city walls, the scholars suggested a subdivision into 8 wall sections, from M1 to M8, including the portions of the towers and 6 access gates: each wall section was the subject of detailed studies and analyses on both the forms of degradation and instability.

On the basis of the knowledge acquired, general intervention criteria were defined. In this field, particular attention was paid to the resistance of the materials to be used in the restoration, both because these interventions will remain exposed to atmospheric agents, and so that the 'extraordinary' intervention of the restoration can be effective over time, minimising maintenance actions.

Widespread Archaeological Park

The study also focused on the relationship between the ancient city of Pompeii and the contemporary city, extending it to the seven Vesuvian territorial sites hinged on the Archaeological Park (Boscoreale, Oplontis, Stabiae, Longola, Lettere, Quisisana and the Bourbon Polverificio), outlining a strategic framework of possible connections, including the creation of sustainable mobility routes. More generally, the intention is to aim at the idea of a widespread archaeological park that also involves the sites present in the municipalities of the "buffer zone" - identified by the Greater Pompeii Strategic Plan - in which the Archaeological Site of Pompeii takes on the role of a great urban and territorial attraction capable of presenting itself not only as an archaeological site of international importance, but also as a more qualified contemporary public open space, and at the same time being an active component of a broader process of urban and environmental redevelopment.

The agricultural park and the promenade around the walls

The need to make the visitable area larger is dictated by the interest of large and growing tourist flows and the consequent need to protect the heritage. For these purposes, the study considered guidelines for making the walls and adjoining agricultural areas usable, as a means of enhancing a part of the archaeological park not yet fully enjoyed by visitors as a new opportunity for visiting, perceiving the ancient city and decongesting the site. Taking up an idea of Amedeo Maiuri, the research investigated the possibility of a new route, usable with a dedicated ticket and with other naturalistic values.