Standing in the centre of the exhibition space at the National Museum of Australia, you can experience what it was like when Mount Vesuvius erupted.

It was an iconic moment in history almost 2000 years ago: thousands of people were killed in Pompeii and Herculaneum in southern Italy following the eruption on 24 August 79AD.

Visitors to the Pompeii exhibition, which opened to the public on 13 December, are transported to the ancient city via a corso (main avenue) stretching more than 35 metres and ending at a six-metre-tall, floor-to-ceiling recreation of Mt Vesuvius.

At the Pompeii media launch, NMA director Katherine McMahon said the immersive exhibition was an Australian first.

“Today, you’ll get to experience this unique exhibition up close and personal,” Ms McMahon said.

“The NMA takes Australian stories to the world and brings the world’s greatest stories here to Australia, and Pompeii is another wonderful example of our work in this space.”

She said that the moment in time, thousands of years ago, still captured people’s imagination.

“It is a story being passed down through the ages and one that keeps evolving with each new archaeological discovery,” Ms McMahon said.

“And now visitors to the museum will have a chance to experience this incredible story and famous ancient city like never before.

“Pompeii’s evocative soundscapes and projections not only show the city before it was consumed by Vesuvius’s eruption but also as a place of discovery that continues to connect our world with the ancient world.”

The exhibition is a collaboration between the Archaeological Park of Pompeii (Parco Archeologico di Pompei) in Italy, the Grand Palais in France and the NMA.

Parco Archeologico di Pompei archaeologist Dr Silvia Bertesago said it was emotional to see the items in Australia.

Dr Bertesago said in reconstructing Pompeii, it was an extraordinary preservation freezing it in time to provide a complete picture of the ancient city.

Grand Palais head of business development Mr Laurent Dondey joked the exhibition at NMA was better than the one presented at its Paris museum.

“… It’s just a question about rewriting the museum experience, putting the priority on narrative and space and really taking care of our audience the best that we can by telling a story and doing it with a very scientific background,” Mr Dondey said.

NMA lead coordinating curator Dr Lily Withycombe visited Pompeii, where she handpicked some of the 90 artefacts that feature in the exhibition.

Pompeii runs at NMA until 4 May 2025. For more information visit nma.gov.au/pompeii.

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