Website Oplontis (Italian) Criteria iii, iv, v | Type Cultural Local time Saturday 11:47 PM | |
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Location Torre Annunziata, Province of Naples, Campania, Italy Management Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei Official name Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata Weather 14°C, Wind SE at 3 km/h, 79% Humidity | ||
Oplontis was an ancient Roman site near Pompeii in Italy. It is best known today for the sumptuous Roman Villa Poppaea which is open to visitors. As with other Roman sites in the area, such as Herculaneum and other villas, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried it under a deep layer of ash on August 24, AD 79.
The name "Oplontis" most likely referred originally to the baths in the area of Campo Oncino, but today the name commonly covers the group of villas in the middle of the modern town of Torre Annunziata (Torre Nunziata in the local Neapolitan dialect).
The villa was excavated in the mid-20th century up to 1984, and is associated with Poppaea, the second wife of Emperor Nero.
A second villa, the Villa of L. Crassius Tertius, was discovered in 1974, 300 metres east of the Villa Poppaea, during the construction of a school. A bronze seal bearing Crassius' name was found at the site.
A large number of artifacts from Oplontis are preserved in the Naples National Archaeological Museum.