European Heritage Days in Pompeii - Historical Re-enactments and Ludi Pompeiani

Pompeii returns to the 1st century AD

The European Heritage Days (EHD) are a major cultural event promoted across Europe by the Council of Europe and the European Commission, coordinated in Italy by the Ministry of Culture. In Pompeii, in the province of Naples, the event takes on a unique character: the Archaeological Park of Pompeii opens its insulae to historical re-enactments. For an entire weekend, the city buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD is repopulated by artisans, merchants, priestesses, legionaries, and gladiators.

This is not a mere spectacle, but a philological reconstruction: re-enactment groups work from ancient sources, archaeological finds, and Pompeian iconography to faithfully recreate the gestures, clothing, tools, and trades of the 1st century. It is perhaps the only place in the world where a Roman re-enactment takes place within the authentic streets, squares, and buildings that were their original stage.

The Forum as a market, the Amphitheatre as an arena

The heart of the event is the Forum, which hosts a reconstruction of a city market for the entire day: vendor stalls, artisan workshops, citizens in period dress, dances, and public debates that recreate the daily buzz of ancient Pompeii.

The Amphitheatre—the oldest Roman stone amphitheatre still in existence—hosts the Ludi Pompeiani: gladiator combat reconstructed with historical rigour, accompanied by educational explanations regarding the figures involved, the weapons, the rules, and the social context of the games. In the clearing in front of the arena, a military camp is set up with civilian and military workshops, where the public can observe manoeuvres, equipment, and barracks life up close.

A journey through the ancient city

The re-enactments are not confined to a single spot: recent editions have involved the Quadriportico of the Theatres with educational stations, the Great Theatre with gladiator demonstrations, the Building of Eumachia featuring the figure of the Pompeian priestess, and the Temple of Isis with tableaux vivants dedicated to oriental cults. The most scenic moment is the grand historical pageant that departs from the Great Palaestra and travels along the Via dell'Abbondanza, with religious and civil-military groups marching together.

• Forum: reconstructed market, artisans, vendors, dances, and debates
• Amphitheatre: Ludi Pompeiani, gladiators, legionaries, historical camp
• Great Theatre: demonstrations and insights into gladiatorial combat
• Temple of Isis: tableaux vivants and procession
• Via dell'Abbondanza: civil and military historical pageant

The historical groups involved

The programme is curated by some of the most active re-enactment associations in Italy. Recent editions have seen the collaboration of the Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix, the Gruppo Storico Romano, and the Compagnia dell'Aquila Bianca, who together bring dozens of fully equipped re-enactors to Pompeii. Their work is not purely for show: every station is accompanied by an explanation, and the public—including families—can ask questions, touch the reproductions, and understand how a Roman city truly functioned.

Why it is worth the trip

In September, Campania offers an ideal climate for visiting the excavations, and the European Heritage Days add a narrative dimension to the classic archaeological itinerary that few sites can match. Those who arrive already familiar with the history of Pompeii will see names and places suddenly come to life; first-time visitors will gain an immediate, highly effective key to understanding the site. In past editions, the EHD have also been accompanied by extraordinary evening openings at a symbolic price at several sites within the Greater Pompeii area, from the Villa of the Mysteries to the Amphitheatre, with a dedicated shuttle service from the city centre.

The event is part of a calendar that the Archaeological Park dedicates to public outreach every year, confirming Pompeii as one of the most visited cultural hubs in Italy and a symbol of the Campania Region.