Leaving behind the quiet shores of Procida, we boarded a morning hydrofoil back across the Bay of Naples. Watching the pastel fishermen homes fade into the horizon marked a turning point in our journey: transitioning from the slow, sun-drenched pace of island life back toward the mainland for a deep dive into ancient Roman history.

Our return to Naples was a brief transition before taking a short taxi ride to the rail terminal at Piazza Garibaldi. From there, we boarded the local train running south along the coast toward Ercolano.

An 18th-Century Oasis: Villa Signorini

Arriving at the Ercolano Scavi station, we walked down the hill to our lodging for the night, Villa Signorini on Via Roma. The property is a beautifully preserved 18th-century Vesuvian villa, complete with classical frescoes, soaring ceilings, and tranquil gardens.

These opulent estates along the Golden Mile (Miglio d’Oro) were originally built by Bourbon nobility following King Charles III’s decision to build a royal palace in nearby Portici during the 1730s. For American travelers who love historic architecture, staying in a preserved 18th-century villa offers a tangible link to European aristocracy during the era of the transatlantic Enlightenment—the same period when America’s founding generation looked to classical antiquity and European design for inspiration.

Uncovering Herculaneum: A Direct Window into Roman Life

Located right next door to our hotel lies the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, where we joined a private guided tour. While neighboring Pompeii draws the vast majority of global headlines and international tour buses, Herculaneum offers a far more intimate, remarkably intact look at daily life in the Roman Empire.

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the two neighboring towns met very different fates:

 Pompeii was inundated by heavy falling ash and pumice, which crushed roofs and destroyed organic materials.

 Herculaneum, sitting closer to the peak, was swept by blistering pyroclastic surges followed by a deep, airtight blanket of volcanic mud.

Stepping directly from an 18th-century Vesuvian estate into the remarkably preserved homes of a 1st-century Roman seaside town made for an unforgettable day of living history. Yet, what makes walking through the stone streets of Herculaneum so breathtaking today is the realization that we are still only glimpsing the surface—only about 25% of the entire ancient site has been excavated to date. The vast majority of this aristocratic Roman retreat remains entombed beneath modern Ercolano, waiting to yield its secrets.

Among its greatest hidden treasures is the famed Villa of the Papyri, a magnificent seaside palace where early diggers unearthed roughly 1,000 charred, carbonized scrolls. Rolled tight and baked to charcoal by the volcanic surge, these ancient manuscripts were impossible to unroll by hand without crumbling into dust. In recent weeks, however, international researchers have turned to a multitude of cutting-edge technologies—including high-resolution 3D X-ray CT scanning and AI-driven machine learning algorithms—to begin non-invasively decoding the delicate layers. As these digital tools start reading the hidden ink inside the rolled papyri without ever opening them, scholars stand on the precipice of recovering lost classical literature, philosophical texts, and historical accounts that will lead to who knows what kind of groundbreaking information about the ancient world.

Down at the ancient shoreline, archaeological discoveries continue to reveal incredible details about Roman craftsmanship, human tragedy, and science:

• The Petrified Boat & Ancient Boat Houses: Archaeologists unearthed an extraordinarily intact 30-foot Roman vessel along the ancient beachfront, preserved as petrified wood. Scientific analysis revealed the boat was built using three distinct types of wood (including cedar and oak), offering rare insights into sophisticated Roman naval engineering and timber selection. Right next to the vessel along the waterfront, recent excavations inside the arched boat houses uncovered the remains of hundreds of trapped residents—predominantly women and children huddled together in the dark, seeking shelter from the erupting volcano as they desperately waited for a rescue by sea that never came.

• The Glassified Brain: Perhaps the most extraordinary forensic discovery came from inside the town’s Collegium Augustalium, where researchers analyzed the remains of a young man caught in the initial heat wave. The thermal energy was so extreme—exceeding 900°F (500°C)—that it instantly vaporized his body fat and converted his brain tissue into a smooth, black vitrified glass. Scientists are actively studying this unique specimen to figure out the precise thermodynamic conditions that allowed organic neural structure to transform into glass.

The deeply tragic human story of Herculaneum stands in stark contrast to its legendary origins. According to Roman mythology, the city was named in honor of Hercules because the hero was said to have passed through the region after completing his second labor—slaying the multi-headed Lernaean Hydra. Bound to this divine protector, the city maintained a grand temple in his honor, overseen by an elite order of the city’s ruling class who operated a private civic club (Augustales) dedicated to running municipal affairs and honoring both Hercules and the imperial cult.

From its heroic origins and divine temples to the revolutionary technology now decoding its lost libraries, Herculaneum remains one of the most compelling direct windows into human history anywhere on Earth.

The USA Connection: How Herculaneum Shaped American Architecture

Herculaneum holds a fascinating connection to American history. The rediscovery and excavation of Herculaneum in 1738 sparked a global obsession with classical antiquity, giving birth to Neoclassical architecture.

When Thomas Jefferson served as an American diplomat in Europe, he became deeply enamored with the architectural designs unearthed from Herculaneum and Pompeii. He incorporated these exact Roman proportions, domed structures, and classical columns directly into his design for his Virginia home, Monticello, as well as the University of Virginia and early American civic buildings. The clean marble lines and classical colonnades seen across Washington, D.C. today trace their stylistic roots straight back to the ruins of Herculaneum.

Stepping directly from an 18th-century Vesuvian estate into the remarkably preserved homes of a 1st-century Roman seaside town made for an unforgettable day of living history.

Tomorrow we make the train ride back to Rome and flight back home. Another good weekend on the books.