The grandest residence at the Pompeii archaeological site is undergoing extensive restoration, with the entire €1.4 million cost funded by a private sponsor, officials announced. The House of Marcus Fabius Rufus, which was buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, has been closed to the public since 1980.

Situated along Pompeii’s ancient city walls, the residence features four floors connected by a complex network of corridors and staircases, reflecting its design inspiration from Rome’s imperial palaces. Structural work on the site took place between 2021 and 2023, and the current phase focuses on conserving the house’s frescoes, including the renowned Venus of Pompeii located in an internal chapel.

Officials from the Archaeological Park of Pompeii said that part of the residence will be accessible to guided tours by Christmas. The restoration project is entirely sponsored by German entrepreneur Frank Hoefer, who initiated contact with the archaeological park after being inspired by the 2023 book *Pompeii: The Enchanted City* authored by the park’s superintendent, Gabriel Zuchtriegel.

“Restoring the spectacular residence of Marcus Fabius Rufus is a project I find exciting,” Hoefer said, expressing admiration for Pompeii’s openness to innovative preservation methods and enhancing public access.

Zuchtriegel emphasized the broader ambitions behind such sponsorships, noting that while the current funding model cannot immediately replace entrance fees with symbolic amounts, it represents a strategic step toward the sustainable development of the site. “This does not mean that if we had 50 such sponsors tomorrow, we could abolish the entrance ticket or reduce it to just one euro immediately, but it is a perspective towards which we have to work,” he said.

The house’s original occupant is believed to have been either a magistrate or a freedman affiliated with the imperial household. Efforts are also underway to improve visitor accessibility within the residence. Digital technology is being integrated to assist visitors in navigating what has been described as an “incredible labyrinth” of intricate passageways and rooms, aimed at enhancing the understanding of the site’s complex layout.

“At times, you feel like you are in a 19th-century palace in Naples, yet this is a Roman house from 2,000 years ago,” Zuchtriegel remarked, highlighting the residence’s historical and architectural significance.

The restoration aligns with ongoing initiatives to preserve and promote Pompeii, one of the most important archaeological sites in Italy and a major draw for international tourism.