Laser technology to return Pompeii 'Villa of Mysteries' to splendour

A new laser-based technology is expected to return the frescos located in the Villa dei Misteri in Pompei to their original splendour as part of a wider renovation program of what is considered to be one of the most fascinating remains contained in the town buried by a volcanic eruption from nearby Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, according to information provided by an Italian government body.

Wall fresco in the triclinium of the Villa of Mysteries,
Pompeii [Credit: WikiCommons]

The Italian Soprintendenza, which is the government department responsible for historical and artistic buildings, said particular attention during the renovation would be paid to the cycle of paintings that have brought world-wide fame to the so-called 'Villa of Mysteries'. 

It will be the first time that laser treatment is to be used in such a large and important context, and will permit the efficient removal of the protective layers applied to the frescos over the centuries. 

Pompei has often been the focus of outcries for the derelict status of some of its ruins. 

There have been cave-ins and collapses in recent years, leading to growing concern about Italy's ability to protect the 2,000-year-old site from further degradation. 

Source: ANSA [July 11, 2013]