The grandiose Villa dei Papiri still lies buried in volcanic material beneath the modern city, although it was extensively explored in the 18th century by means of underground passages. In fact, the first floor plan of the Villa was drawn up in 1754 by the Swiss engineer Karl Weber.

The atrium area was partially excavated and explored between 1996 and 1998. However, during investigations in 2007, the sea pavilion was excavated, inside which the remains of valuable wooden furniture were found.

The villa’s name is due to the discovery of more than 1,800 charred papyrus scrolls, traces of a great library—the only intact one belonging to the ancient world. The scrolls are extremely delicate and, in order to avoid the risk of destroying them, the process of unrolling and deciphering the texts is very complex. The most modern techniques are X-rays, axial tomography and artificial intelligence.

In addition to the papyri, the Villa held many sculptures, copies of Greek originals that have been completely lost. This place of timeless fascination offers an extraordinary insight into the taste of the Roman senatorial aristocracy, to whom the ownership of the residence is probably attributed, and the influence of Greek culture on Roman culture.