A long weekend awaits visitors at the Ercolano Archaeological Park. It starts on Sunday 5 January with the ministerial initiative. #Domenicalmuseo with the free opening of museum sites and archaeological parks; when visitors can take advantage of free admission to access the Archaeological Park.
On the same day, the route to the Ancient Theatre of the Park, buried by the eruption of 79 AD, will be accessible and returned to visitors about 20 years after its closure. The Theatre was the first monument to be discovered in the Vesuvian sites hit by the cataclysm and visitors will be able to access it by descending more than 20 metres below the eruptive material, to admire the route conceived as a true exploration; they will be able to venture into a unique and evocative place, where there are, in addition to the remains of the ancient building, finds, graffiti left over the centuries by visitors, who in the light of torches crossed the tunnels and wells created in the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries to penetrate the bowels of ancient Herculaneum.
Visitors are provided by the Ercolano Archaeological Park with helmets, hair caps, capes and torches to use during the tour. It is recommended to wear closed, low, resistant and waterproof shoes and to wear comfortable shirts or jackets, to be put on before the visit, given the considerable temperature changes to be faced during the tour.
The route can be accessed with a €10 ticket, and the ticket price is particularly advantageous for young people aged between 18 and 25 who can enjoy the experience with a ticket of just €2.
The long weekend ends with the day of the Epiphany when the Park will be regularly open to the public and also on this day you can take advantage to visit the SplendOri Exhibition. The luxury of ornaments in Herculaneum, the precious collection of about 200 finds, messengers of history of ancient craftsmanship and manufacturing, as well as the additional value acquired for having belonged to the inhabitants of the ancient city buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, and the Boat Pavilion, which houses rare finds that demonstrate the close link of the site of Herculaneum to the sea.
On both the free Sunday and the Epiphany day, visitors will find the welcome of the Proloco Hercvlanevm, which will welcome them with hot drinks and local sweets.
Meanwhile, the fruitful year of the Archaeological Park ends with 558.962 visitors, almost increasing the number of tourists by 5% compared to 2018 and in any case increasing by 25% since the autonomy of the Park and the new Sirano management. In the last three years, each year has surpassed the previous one, always recording the highest absolute numbers in the history of the site.
Another result achieved, thanks also to the synergy between local authorities, is the increased permanence of tourists in the area with an increase in the length of stay from a few hours in 2013 to 1,6 days in 2019 and the doubling of the managers of the reception facilities, which have reached almost 200 (data provided by the Municipality of Ercolano).
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