Pompeii: eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79

According to Pliny the Younger, around noon on August 24, 79 (some experts believe the actual date is October 24 of that same year), Vesuvius erupted and dumped volcanic debris on Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabia.

The city was buried under an approximately 3-meter layer, which caused the roofs of many houses to collapse. Subsequently, three more meters fell, so Pompeii remained buried under a layer of between 6 and 7 meters of pumice stone and volcanic ash.

The architect Domenico Fontana discovered the ruins of Pompeii at the end of the 16th century, but work did not begin until 1748. This archaeological site seems to be frozen in time, with public buildings such as the Capitol, the Basilica, temples, a forum, an amphitheater, villas, public toilets, and various tools and instruments still visible. The bodies of the people were buried in volcanic ash, creating molds that preserved their shapes at the time of their deaths.