Pompeii

Near the Bay of Naples in Italy, a volcano named Mount Vesuvius lies. The volcano has erupted more than 50 times, but its most known eruption happened in 79 A.D. covering an entire city in volcanic ash. The city was the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Two thousand people died in this horrid event and the rest abandoned the city.

In 1748, explorers rediscovered the city and found underneath all the debris and destruction, the city was indeed still intact. Everything from, buildings, homes, to furniture, personal possessions, and even skeletons still remained. The ashes had acted as a preservative. Jars of fruit and loaves of bread were even amongst the discoveries.

Before the eruption Pompeii was almost like a vacation spot. It was a place for Rome's most distinguished citizens to flock to. The paved streets were lined with elegant houses and elaborate villas. The town always seemed busy with the open squares and marketplaces full of factories, artisan's shops, brothels, bathhouses, taverns and cafes. Complete with an arena as well, about 20,000 people were living in Pompeii at this time.

Not only did the findings of Pompeii offer some insight into life at that time, but Pompeii had an influence on design in the 18th century. The wealthy of Europe displayed art and reproductions of objects from the ruins. Drawings of the buildings here shaped architectural trends as well. British families built "Etruscan rooms" which came from Pompeiian villas.

Following pictures of original Pompeii interiors, this elevator shows the same style of the frescoes. This motif would have been used in the Etruscan rooms for sure.