Porta Ercolano and Necropolis, Pompei

Porta Ercolano is one of the main gates leading through Pompei’s ancient walls. Composed of three barrel arches, it opens onto the Roman road linking the city to nearby Herculaneum. The gate was built by the Sullans following their conquest of Pompei in 80 BC, although this had been an access point through the city walls since the 3rd century BC. It now marks the route for tourists visiting Herculaneum and the Villa of the Mysteries, which both lie north-west of the historic site of Pompei. Passing through the gate on the left side, you can see marks in the walls where stones, launched by catapult, struck against them.

Halfway along the road from Porta Ercolano to the Villa of the Mysteries lies the Necropolis. Dating from the 1st century BC, it is the largest and most noteworthy cemetery discovered in Pompei. The large tomb here houses cremated bodies, placed in urns and interned in the tomb wall. Local figures buried here have their resting places marked with a human bust. Look out for a number of unusual tombs, including a columned platform flanked with statues, and the marble covered tombs of local luminaries, apparently designed to look like temple altars.