The Villa di Poppea in Oplontis was a prestigious residence located at the foothill of Vesuvius (fig. 1). Constructed in 50 BC, the building was refurbished and enlarged over time and had been undergoing renovation and repairs ˗ due to damage caused by the earthquake of AD 62 – when it was buried in the eruption of AD 79. Although located slightly inland today, originally the villa was perched on the edge of a bluff approximately 14 m above the beach, a setting which offered a magnificent pan...
