Herculaneum reopens two houses after restoration on 5 November
Published on 11/07/2026 at 11:50 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSRestored homes return to view
- The Herculaneum Archaeological Park reopened two residences on 5 November 2026 under director Federica Colaiacomo.
- The Domus Project gives visitors access to the Mosaic Atrium House and the Wattle-and-Daub House after decades of closure.
- UNESCO added the archaeological areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata to the World Heritage List in 1997.
- Ercolano Scavi station provides rail access to the archaeological park in Ercolano.
Herculaneum (Ercolano) reopened the House with the Mosaic Atrium and the Wattle-and-Daub House on 5 November 2026, bringing two residences back into the visitor route after decades of closure. The change affects the archaeological park in Ercolano, Italy, and gives the restoration programme a clear consequence for visitors.
Two Herculaneum houses return on 5 November
The reopening followed conservation restoration carried out through the Domus Project, the park's programme for six important residences. The Herculaneum Archaeological Park, led by director Federica Colaiacomo, announced that both houses were once again open and had been incorporated into the tour route.
The House with the Mosaic Atrium is an elaborate residence facing the sea. Its garden and monumental hall, known as the Oecus Aegyptius, provide views towards the floor mosaic that gives the house its name. The Wattle-and-Daub House presents a smaller building with a shop at ground level and domestic rooms above.
The two reopenings therefore add different kinds of evidence to the same route: a decorated residence and a more modest mixed-use building. The park's 5 November reopening notice records their return to public access.
Restoration connects domestic rooms with Roman streets
The newly accessible spaces show why the site matters beyond its larger public monuments. In the Wattle-and-Daub House, visitors can reach an ancient upper floor and look down towards Cardo IV, the street that led towards the sea. The Mosaic Atrium House instead connects garden, hall and patterned pavement within one substantial domestic setting.
Vesuvius buried the Roman town in AD 79, preserving upper floors, wooden elements and other organic material in pyroclastic deposits. UNESCO says the remains were progressively excavated and made accessible from the mid-eighteenth century, while describing Herculaneum as smaller but better preserved than Pompeii.
The archaeological areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata entered the World Heritage List in 1997. The property is managed locally by the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, and the continuing conservation work reflects the site's exposure to weather, visitors and the fragility of ancient materials. UNESCO's World Heritage description places the town within a wider Roman landscape shaped by the eruption.
What the November reopening changes for visitors
The practical effect of the 5 November change is the addition of two residences to the route, rather than a separate exhibition or a temporary performance. Visitors can encounter the mosaic hall and garden in one house, then see the shop and upper-floor arrangement of the other.
The reopening also makes the contrast between social settings more legible. One building offers a large ceremonial interior and a sea-facing position; the other shows how retail and domestic life could occupy the same narrow urban structure.
Visiting Herculaneum: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The two residences reopened on 5 November 2026 and form part of the Herculaneum Archaeological Park route.
- Access has changed because the House with the Mosaic Atrium and the Wattle-and-Daub House are now open to visitors after decades of closure.
- The park is in Ercolano, Italy, at the foot of Vesuvius and near Naples. The Ercolano Scavi station on the Circumvesuviana railway provides a public transport link to the site.
- The archaeological area includes ancient streets, upper floors and uneven historic surfaces, so the route requires care around exposed ruins and changes in level.
- Italian is the official language and the national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Herculaneum
What has changed at Herculaneum?
The House with the Mosaic Atrium and the Wattle-and-Daub House reopened on 5 November 2026 after decades of closure and joined the visitor route.
What is Herculaneum?
It is an ancient Roman town preserved beneath volcanic deposits from the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. Its remains form part of the UNESCO World Heritage property inscribed in 1997.
Where is Herculaneum and how do you get there?
The archaeological park stands in Ercolano near Naples in Italy. The Ercolano Scavi station on the Circumvesuviana railway is the named rail stop for the site.
