Historical Discovery in Pompeii: Large Fresco Depicting Dionysian Procession Unveiled

naples, italy - A well-preserved life-sized fresco depicting a procession in honor of Dionysos discovered in Pompeii.

Discovery of Ancient Fresco in Pompeii

During excavations in Pompeii, a banquet hall was unearthed with a well-preserved life-sized fresco. The fresco covers three out of four walls of the room, depicting a procession in honor of Dionysos, the god of fertility, wine, and irrationality. Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli hails the find as a historic day.

Mainades and bacchantes, female followers of the god, are portrayed as dancers and fierce hunters carrying slaughtered goat kids or swords with animal entrails. A smaller fresco above emphasizes the hunting theme with live and dead animals. Young satyrs play double flutes, and a sater performs a wine offering. A mortal woman being initiated into Dionysian mysteries is depicted in the center.

Despite being depicted on pedestals, all figures in the fresco appear lively in their movements. The style dates the mural to the 40s or 30s BC, making it over a hundred years old when Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, preserving the city and its inhabitants for centuries. Pompeii is Italy's second most-visited tourist site after Rome's Colosseum, covering approximately 22 hectares.