In a city doomed to eternity by the fury of Vesuvius, every stone, every crack, and every object tells a story. The most recent comes from the House of Helle and Phrixus, a modestly sized yet richly decorated home, whose final moments have been reconstructed thanks to archaeological research published in the E-Journal degli Scavi […]
Italy
Posted inModern Era
Magenta, the Color Born from a Battle
The history of colors is intertwined with the evolution of humanity, reflecting scientific advances, cultural conquests, and historical moments that have left an indelible mark on our perception of the world. Each color contains within it a fragment of the human story, and some, like magenta, shine not only because of their chromatic intensity but […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A Semicircular Classroom Found in the Gymnasium of Agrigento Is the Oldest Known in the Greek World
In southern Sicily, where the hills of Agrigento overlook the Mediterranean Sea, an international team of archaeologists has brought to light an exceptional structure that offers an unprecedented window into the educational system of Ancient Greece. It is an ancient classroom discovered in March 2025 by researchers from the Freie Universität Berlin, under the direction […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Monumental Funerary High Relief Discovered in Pompeii Depicting a Life-Size Couple
A team of archaeologists has brought to light a remarkable funerary relief depicting a couple—a man and a woman—at an almost life-size scale. This discovery took place during an excavation in the Porta Sarno necropolis, located in the ancient city of Pompeii, as part of the research project Investigating the Archaeology of Death in Pompeii, […]
Posted inAntiquity, Prehistory
Via Cava, the Mysterious Paths Carved into the Rock by the Etruscans or Earlier Peoples
South of Tuscany, around the towns of Sovana, Sorano, and Pitigliano, there is a network of roads or pathways carved into the living rock. It is known that the Etruscans or earlier peoples were their creators, but their original function remains completely unknown. They are called Via Cava or Cavoni, and they mainly consist of […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
The Walls and North Gate of the Ancient Greek City of Selinunte in Sicily Discovered
Recently, a team of archaeologists has unearthed sections of the walls that once surrounded the ancient Greek city of Selinunte, in southwestern Sicily, as well as the north gate, a crucial access point to the polis, confirming Selinunte’s strategic and cultural significance in the Mediterranean. The new findings, presented on March 25 at Baglio Florio […]
Posted inHistory, Middle Ages
The Fascinating History of Castel dell’Ovo, the Fortress Where the Last Roman Emperor Retired
As much as Julius Nepos refused to recognize his legitimacy and continued to hold the title in parallel until his death in 475 AD, history considers the last Western Roman emperor to be Romulus Augustulus, who was deposed ten months later by the Herulian chieftain Odoacer. Odoacer allowed him to retire to a fortress located […]
Posted inAntiquity
Agathocles, the Tyrant Who Defended Syracuse by Taking the War to Africa, Invading and Besieging Carthage
The Sicilian Agathocles, a man not only of obscure but lowly and abject origins, became king of Syracuse. The son of a potter, he led a reprehensible life in every stage of his existence; however, he always accompanied his wickedness with such spirit and physical vigor that, upon entering the military, he rose through the […]
Posted inAncient Greece, Art
The Extraordinary Chigi Olpe: The Oldest Depiction of the Judgment of Paris and the Formation of Hoplite Phalanxes
In 1882, in an Etruscan tomb near Veii, about 16 kilometers north of Rome, a Greek pitcher—an olpe—was discovered. It had remained hidden in a burial chamber that had been sealed off in antiquity due to a collapse, which allowed it to reach us in an exceptional state of preservation. It was not Etruscan but […]
Posted inArt, Classical Archaeology
“Pompeian Gray” Discovered in Pompeii Excavations: A Unique Color in the Roman World
A recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science has revealed the discovery of a new color in the chromatic repertoire of the Roman world: Pompeian Gray. This research, the result of collaboration between the Parco Archeologico di Pompei and various Italian universities, represents a significant advancement in understanding the painting techniques used in […]
