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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Buried by Vesuvius, blighted by coronavirus, Pompeii wants to rise again

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Buried by Vesuvius, blighted by coronavirus, Pompeii wants to rise again
Buried by Vesuvius, blighted by coronavirus, Pompeii wants to rise again

Pompeii, the ancient Roman city that was buried in an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and later unearthed, is ready to rise again from the catastrophe of the coronavirus pandemic.

The sprawling

Pompeii, the ancient Roman city that was buried in an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and later unearthed, is ready to rise again from the catastrophe of the coronavirus pandemic.

The sprawling archaeological site reopened to tourists on Tuesday after a closure of more than two-and-a-half months that froze the local economy much as the eruption nearly 2,000 years ago froze the city in time.

Authorities have mapped out one-way itineraries to make sure visitors, who will have to wear masks, keep safe social distances and avoid gathering.

Low-dose tourism, at least in the near future, will give fewer visitors an opportunity to have more of the city to themselves and enjoy what head of the Pompeii archaeological park Massimo Osanna called "an almost metaphysical experience".

The site is unrecognisable from pre-coronavirus days where it would be filled with crowds of tourists, especially in the popular month of May.

In 2019, 4 million people visited the site, Osanna said.

For now, only residents of Pompeii's region Campania can visit the archaeological site.

From June 3, Italians will be allowed to move freely between regions, and tourists from Europe will be allowed to visit without undergoing any quarantine.

The end to travel curbs will represent a major milestone on Italy's road to recovery, with the government hoping to salvage the forthcoming holiday season, when Italians traditionally escape the cities for their annual summer breaks.

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