26th August, BBC Reel :Within the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, in a room known as the ‘Secret Chamber’, is a unique collection of erotic art, found perfectly preserved in the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
For a time this artwork could only be accessed with a special permit for men with ‘proven morality’. Now open to the public, the collection gives an incredible insight into ancient attitudes to sex and eroticism and how these have shifted over the centuries.
The ancient city of Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and thesurrounding area, was destroyed in 79 AD, by a deadly eruption ofMount Vesuvius and remained buried for more than a century underthe massive heaps of volcanic ash and pumice. Much later, duringthe excavation of the lost city in the mid-19th century, thearchaeologists were shocked to discover a wide range of erotic artdisplayed all over the ancient city, in private houses, public buildingsand even on the street façades.
Video by Fernando Teixeira & Izabela Cardoso
