A stone’s throw away from the archaeological excavations of the ancient city of Herculaneum, once buried due to the Vesuvius explosion, is the Museo Archeologico Virtuale (MAV). Covering a 5,000sq m area, the museum uses over seventy multimedia installations to recreate the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Baia, Stabiae and Capri.

We’ve all heard and read about the eruption of Vesuvius, burying Pompeii and Herculaneum until their rediscovery in the 18th century. But there is little we can do to experience life there and looking at artifacts at museums isn’t the same as manoeuvering a 3D space, which is what MAV offers! You can go through hallways to enter and explore the houses of Herculaneum, thermal baths that were common Roman fixtures, and even temples and the Pompeii Forum, the city’s centre.

Though you cannot touch the graphics like you could feel a real house (not like museums let you touch 2,000-year-old artifacts), you can look at the frescoes or view “books” at a Herculaneum library by using interactive tablets and touchscreens. MAV promises to be an exciting and immersive event, something different from the Herculaneum ruins nearby, but just as amazing.