Fornici

The Fornici were once the port warehouses along the ancient beach. In 1980, archaeologists unearthed 300 skeletons of residents who tried to escape the eruption. Alongside their remains, personal objects like jewellery and coins were found.

A Roman ship with the skeletons of a rower and a soldier, along with his belt, swords, chisel, and a purse with coins, were also discovered. This site offers a poignant reminder of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

• House of Relief of Telephus

Built between 27 BC and 14 AD, this three-story house stands on a ridge overlooking the marina. It features sculptures from the Neo-Attic school, including a relief of Telephus, the son of Hercules, the city's legendary founder. The atrium is lined with columns and adorned with marble discs featuring reliefs of Dionysus, believed to ward off evil spirits.

• House of the Wooden Partition

This house is named after its wooden partition that survived the eruption and still stands today. The folding door separated the atrium from the rest of the room, providing privacy. It features a series of folding panels with brass handles and holders for lanterns.

• Samnite House

Dating back to the 2nd century BC, the Samnite House is one of the oldest in Herculaneum. It boasts a beautiful Greek-style atrium painted in the Fourth Style, known for its fantastical architecture and dramatic scenery. The house has a marble impluvium, or rainwater pool, and an upstairs loggia with Ionic columns.

• Hall of the Augustals

This square structure was the seat of the College of the Augustales, devotees of the cult of Emperor Augustus. The hall features columns, arches, and cocciopesto floors. Two splendid frescoes depict Hercules entering Mount Olympus and wrestling the Achelous. The skeleton of the building's custodian was found in his quarters.

• Terme Centrali (Central Baths)

The Central Baths, dating from the 1st century BC, were fully excavated in 1931. The baths are divided into areas for men and women. Visitors can walk through the apodyterium (changing rooms) and see the frigidarium (cold room), caldarium (hot room), and tepidarium. The tepidarium features a black and white mosaic of Triton surrounded by sea creatures and a cupid.

• Sacello degli Augustali

This large square shrine was originally dedicated to Hercules, the patron of Herculaneum, and later to the Imperial cult of the Augustales. It features excellent frescoes, including one showing Hercules in Olympus with Juno and Minerva, and another of Hercules fighting an Etruscan god.

• House of the Skeleton

This house got its name because a skeleton was found on the upper floor during excavations. Today, only the ground floor remains, but visitors can still see frescoed walls and mythically themed mosaics, though many are faded.

• House of the Deer

At the southern end of Cardo V, the House of the Deer is a luxury villa with two stories built around a central courtyard. The house features marble-chip and mosaic floors and frescoed walls. The garden once held marble tables and deer statues, now preserved in the on-site museum. Next to it is the House of the Mosaic Atrium, with an unusual room divided into three naves, unique to Herculaneum.

• House of Neptune and Amphitrite:

This grand villa is named after the Roman sea god Neptune and his wife Amphitrite. The lower floor had a shop with a counter, a small kitchen, and a wooden mezzanine floor still visible today. The mezzanine had a shelf likely used to store wine amphorae.

The house's main attraction is the summer triclinium, a garden used as a dining area. In the centre, there is a marble basin with a fountain. The central wall has a stunning mosaic of Neptune and Amphitrite, framed with seashells and made of bright glass paste. This house likely belonged to a wealthy, art-loving merchant.