‘Astonishing’ Pompeii home of men freed from slavery reopens to public

The House of the Vettii was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79; it was rediscovered in the late 19th century, and has been reopened to the public after complex restoration work. Photograph: Silvia Vacca/Atrio Vettii

An ornate house – containing a fresco featuring a huge phallus – that was owned by two freed men freed from slavery in the ancient city of Pompeii has reopened to the public.

The House of the Vettii was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79 before being rediscovered in a largely preserved state during excavations in the late 19th century.