Famous ancient city comes back to life with stunning artefacts and unrivalled immersive experience
The catastrophic volcanic eruption that destroyed Pompeii almost 2,000 years ago will immerse visitors in the famous city's last moments as part of a powerful multisensory and first-of-its-kind blockbuster exhibition coming to the National Museum of Australia in Canberra this December.
Opening on 13 December, the exhibition combines moving soundscapes and large-scale digital projections with over 90 fascinating objects, recreating life in the ancient city and presenting the people of Pompeii as they were before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.
Key objects on display will include stunning frescoes spanning more than three metres, magnificent mosaics, jewellery, sculptures and moving replicas of casts of people who died in the disaster.
An exclusive collaboration with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii in Italy, the Grand Palais in France and the National Museum of Australia, Pompeii will be on show in Canberra, and for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere, until 4 May 2025.
Director of the National Museum, Katherine McMahon, said the exhibition would allow visitors to experience ancient Pompeii 'like never before'.
'This exhibition is the first of its kind in Australia,' she said.
'Ancient Pompeii still captures the imagination almost 2,000 years after its destruction. It is a story that has been passed down through the ages and one that keeps evolving with each new archaeological discovery.
'Now Australians and international visitors to our capital city will experience the majesty, wonder and tragedy of Pompeii in an entirely new way – as both a living, breathing ancient city and as an archaeological site.
'This fully immersive exhibition, in combination with striking artefacts which have never previously been seen in Australia, invites people to explore everyday life in the city, and its post-eruption rediscovery, especially in the past decade of major new excavations.
'We are proud to host this spectacular ancient world experience for the first time in Australia and in the Southern Hemisphere.'
Pompeii's evocative soundscapes and powerful projections not only show the city right before the fateful moment it was swallowed by Vesuvius' all-consuming ash, but also as a place of discovery that continues to connect our world with the ancient world. It offers a unique sensory journey through one of the ancient and contemporary world's most famous cities.
A highlight of Pompeii's large-scale audiovisual experience is a spectacular 360-degree recreation of Mount Vesuvius' eruption, scheduled to take place every 15 minutes, immersing visitors in the full fury and power of the catastrophe.
The volcanic eruption is set against a backdrop of stunning ancient artefacts, with some excavated in only the last six years, many of which have been hand-picked from the collections of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii by National Museum Curator Dr Lily Withycombe.
'For three centuries, excavations on the Pompeii archaeological site have uncovered extraordinary traces of everyday life, such as jewellery, sculptures and pottery, which serve as poignant reflections of the lives shattered on the day Mount Vesuvius erupted,' Dr Withycombe said.
'More recently, excavations have unearthed large, elegant homes, such as the House with the Garden with its amazing frescoes and graffiti, the House of Leda and the Swan and the House of Orion. All these new sites are represented in the exhibition.
'The 90 extraordinary objects selected for display come from some of the most significant archaeological digs over the last century.
'They include sculptures, pieces of architecture and a treasure trove of amulets and objects from every day lived experiences made from earthenware, glass paste, ivory, bone, amber and bronze.
'These objects focus on the very real human experience inside the exhibition. Visitors will see themselves reflected in ancient Pompeii through relatable objects, such as cookware and tweezers.
'And they will feel compassion by connecting with this incredible material culture that spans the full experience in Ancient Rome and the rich, complex full lives people lived.'
Following Pompeii's roaring success in Paris, the National Museum of Australia is the first venue in the world to sign a touring agreement with Grand Palais, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and Gedeon Experiences – the producers of the original exhibition.
Tickets for Pompeii go on sale in late October and will be available from the National Museum of Australia website.
