The lost city of Pompeii will be one of the first Italian archaeological sites to re-open after the Coronavirus lockdown. For the moment, access will only be through the Amphitheatre Gate and itineraries will be restricted to certain areas, with one-way routes mapped out, in order to ensure visitor safety. Time slots will be designated for visitors, who will also be tested for possible covid symptoms at the entrance.

Despite the restrictions, visitors can still visit many of the top sights, including the celebrated House of the Faun, among the biggest and grandest of the domus, which has two entrances to allow separate entry and exit.

One of Italy's top tourist attraction, notching up some 3 million visitors the year before the lockdown, Pompeii covers a vast area, with hundreds of ancient Roman houses, shops and public buildings. New finds turn up regularly with a third of the city still buried under the volcanic ash of the Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD.

Massimo Osanna, curator of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, says that work on the site has carried on during the closure period to assure an improved visitor experience.

Info: www.pompeiisites.org