As of June 2, 2025, the House of the Bronze Herm in Herculaneum reopens its doors to the public, exactly one year after a tourist used an indelible black marker to leave his “tag” on one of the ancient walls of the Roman house. This event marks not only the return to visitation of one of the archaeological site’s most precious spaces, but also the conclusion of a delicate recovery operation that has involved restorers, archaeologists, technicians and conservation professionals.
The building, which still retains its old Samnite-type layout, is distinguished by a refined pictorial decoration of Style III, characterized by landscape paintings.
The restoration was developed in two phases: a first, emergency one, to address the damage caused by thevandalism, and a second, more extensive one, included in the extraordinary maintenance program of the site’s domus.
One aspect of great importance was the complete removal of the indelible ink from the wall painting, a complex operation that required a careful preliminary study to identify the safest and most effective technique to restore the original appearance of the work. The interventions on the decorated wall surfaces of the atrium of the house also included the consolidation of the paint film and preparatory layers, as well as the repair of modern plasters damaged by graffiti and engravings, mostly dating from the 1990s and 2000s. Thanks to the interventions, it was possible to restore legibility to the original decorations and counteract forms of degradation and emulative acts such as the one that occurred last year.
The repositioning of an original plaster fragment, which collapsed in 2019 and is kept in the Park’s storage rooms, testifies to the importance of careful and ongoing management. In both phases of the project, the multidisciplinary team from the Herculaneum Archaeological Park and the Packard Humanities Institute collaborated closely with external restorers, adopting a scientific and integrated approach that allowed them to harmonize surfaces and restore coherence and dignity to a long-compromised environment.
The restoration was financed with funds derived from ticketing, supplemented by state funds (Law No. 190 of December 23, 2014 - Stability Law 2015). The domus will now be included in the Park’s visitor routes and, in accordance with conservation requirements, will undergo regular maintenance to ensure the full accessibility of this domestic space of antiquity over time.
“The Bronze Hermitage House finally returns to tell its own story,” said Francesco Sirano, delegated official for the Park’s management, “as a concrete example of cultural revival and industrious dedication to heritage protection and no longer as a symbol of decay. The reopening of this domus represents a moment of great satisfaction; not only do we return a valuable asset to visitation, but we reaffirm the value of continuity of care, shared responsibility and the ability to transform a wound into an opportunity for rebirth. This is the spirit that guides our daily work.”
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| Herculaneum, bronze Hermes House reopens one year after tourist vandalism |
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