The Archaeological Museum of Naples: the Vesuvian treasure
Mosaics, frescoes, silver and the Herculaneum papyri: the MANN keeps the best-preserved works of the Roman world.
The most important museum
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples is considered one of the world's foremost museums of classical antiquity. Its rooms gather works recovered in the Vesuvian excavations and the Farnese collections assembled by Renaissance princes.
The treasures of Pompeii
Here you find the Alexander mosaic from the House of the Faun, frescoes detached from the villas, the Boscoreale silver and the casts of the eruption's victims. Visiting the museum before the ruins gives them a voice they would otherwise lack.
The papyri of Herculaneum
The papyrus cabinet keeps the carbonised scrolls from the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum, now read with cutting-edge technology. It is one of the most precious ancient libraries ever found.
Planning the visit
From Pompei the museum is reached by train in about 40-50 minutes and deserves at least two hours, if not half a day. It is the ideal pairing for a rainy day or to close the Vesuvian itinerary.