When Vesuvius erupted, Pompeii was quickly buried in ash. Herculaneum (Ercolano in Italian), being upwind, was destroyed over 12 hours later when a 400° C blast of searing ash, pumice, rock and volcanic gas struck at over 100 km/h, essentially pausing the town in that moment.

See the old arena, as big as a city block, and The Palestra (Main Hall) which was home to a giant statue of Hercules, hence the town's name.

A modern-day visit to Herculaneum puts you in the shadows of Mount Vesuvius, in a town that was wealthier than Pompeii and better preserved. And that wealth is on full display here: in the marble of the bathhouses, in the furniture, even in the items of clothing that were all kept intact, thanks to the volcanic ash and debris which coated it all, acting like a magic time-freezer.