Pompei, Italy; fresco of Priapus weighing his penis, House of the Vettii..Destroyed and completely buried during an eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius on 24 August 79 AD, the town was lost for 1,600 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1748. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. Today, it is a main tourist attraction of Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. * stock photo image *