NAPLES - Six ancient residences, or 'domus', at the Pompeii archaeological site reopen to visitors on Thursday following restoration. The restored domus - the Fullonica di Stephanus, Casa del Criptoportico, Casa di Paquius Proculus, Casa del Sacerdos Amandus, Casa di Fabius Amandio and Casa dell'Efebo - will be inaugurated in the presence of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Culture Minister Dario Franceschini. The restoration was carried out under the superintendent's office for Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia with funding from the 'Grande Progetto Pompei', which has a total of 105 million euros at its disposal and which is restoring the vast archaeological site, one of the most popular in the world, after years of sections collapsing and damage due to a lack of maintenance.

One of the sites to be reopened on Thursday has long been very popular with tourists: the Fullonica di Stephanus, a laundry for fabrics that were dyed in a large basin in the middle of the building. The re-opening will be a chance to take stock of the work underway on the site. The archaeological site - as has been the case for the past two years - will be closed on December 25 and January 1, but from December 26 to January 10, the local culture firm SCABEC is offering two new tours of the restored domus and of areas that are normally closed to visitors (more information can be found at www.campaniartecard.it). The first tour, named 'Di Domus in Domus' ('From Residence to Residence'), includes a visit to the ancient 'laundry' Fullonica di Stephanus and an explanation of how ancient Roman fabrics were treated, the four thermal areas of the Casa del Criptoportico, the Casa di Paquius Proculus, with its electoral writings, as well as the Casa del Sacerdos Amandus, with paintings of the triclinium that recount the exploits of heroes, and the nearby Casa di Fabius Amandio, an example of a small house of the middle class. The tour ends with the Casa dell'Efebo, a wealthy merchants' luxury residence known for its wall and floor decorations. The second tour is called 'Memorie e Suggestioni - Viaggio dal 79 d. C ad Oggi' ('Memories and Grandeur - Journey from 79 AD to Today'), which includes a visit to the amphitheater and the pyramid created by the architect Francesco Venezia to house the casts of victims buried by ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and the Palestra Grande ('Large Gym'), once used for the physical education of youth and that now includes exhibitions of frescoes from the Villa di Moregine.