“From Egg to Apples. The civilization of food and the pleasures of the table in Herculaneum” arrives at Castel Sant’Angelo: the exhibition on the food of the ancient Herculaneum people leaves Villa Campolieto and lands in Rome from July 14, 2026

The exhibition “From Egg to Apples. The Civilization of Food and the Pleasures of the Table in Herculaneum” extends its presence at Villa Campolieto until June 14, 2026, and then takes a significant leap: from July 14, the exhibition moves to the spaces of Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, in a new stage that expands the scope of the project and brings it to the heart of the capital.

A new venue that dialogues with Herculaneum

The choice of Castel Sant’Angelo is not accidental. The Roman monument is itself the result of a long stratification of functions, eras and meanings: imperial mausoleum, medieval fortress, papal residence, museum. Like Herculaneum, buried by the eruption of Vesuvius and extraordinarily preserved in its everydayness, Castel Sant’Angelo carries the weight of overlapping centuries without any of them really disappearing.

In both cases, the past did not dissolve: it was deposited in time, transforming the places themselves into an integral part of the narrative. It is this underlying affinity-between a city that Vesuvius stopped and a monument that each era has rewritten-that makes Castel Sant’Angelo the natural venue for an exhibition that tells the story of how people lived, ate and cared for themselves in ancient Herculaneum.

The exhibition

Opening March 28, 2025 in the monumental spaces of Villa Campolieto on the Golden Mile, the exhibition takes visitors on an immersive journey dedicated to food culture in ancient Herculaneum. Extraordinarily well-preserved organic finds-bread, grains, legumes, fruit, eggs, seafood-returned in charred form from the eruption of 79 A.D.-dialogue with utensils, pottery and everyday objects, accurately restoring the habits of the ancient Herculaneum people from production to disposal of food.

The installation, conceived according to the “room within a room” formula in respect of the decorated rooms of the main floor of Villa Campolieto – a splendid 18th-century residence designed by Luigi Vanvitelli – enhances both the archaeological collection and the historical spaces. Food, understood as an identity and social element, becomes the common thread of a journey that unites present and past, thanks also to the presence of images of modern Herculaneum that dialogue with the everyday life of the Roman world.

The exhibition is part of the cycle “Herculaneum 1738-2018. Talent Past and Present,” which enhances the most significant aspects of life in the ancient city through exhibitions dedicated to golds, woods and food, hosted in the most representative places in the area.

Visiting information

Through June 14, 2026 – Villa Campolieto

Location: Villa Campolieto, Corso Resina 283, Herculaneum (NA)

Dates: March 28-June 14, 2026

Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (last admission 6:00 p.m.)

Parking: indoor free while spaces last

From July 14, 2026 – Castel Sant’Angelo, Rome

More information on dates, times and tickets for the Rome venue will be announced soon.

Tickets (Villa Campolieto)

Combined Archaeological Park + Exhibition: € 19.00 full – € 4.00 reduced (6-18 years old and eligible according to regulations)

Combined Villa Campolieto + Exhibition: € 7.00 full price

Free: under 6; persons with disabilities and one accompanying person