Restored frescoes see the light of day

Scenes of Roman life, myths and decorations, buried nearly two millenniums ago by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, go on display for the first time in years in an exhibit opening today in Rome.

The show at the National Roman Museum brings together more than 100 artworks that adorned private and public buildings in Pompeii, Herculaneum and other towns near Naples that were destroyed by the eruption in A.D. 79.

Many of the works have not been seen for as long as a decade while they sat in storage at the Archaeological Museum in Naples, which has been undergoing years-long renovations, officials said.

The frescoes themselves have had lengthy restorations to revive colors and figures that, in some cases, had almost completely faded, said Maria Luisa Nava, Naples’ archaeological superintendent.