PHOTO: Hall of the Augustals at the Roman Ruins of Herculaneum, Italy

Hall of the Augustals at Herculaneum, a gathering place for freed slaves

Hall of the Augustals at the ruins of the Roman city of Herculaneum, was a gathering place for freed slaves, who worshiped the emperor Augustus. The fresco on the left wall of the center cubicle depicts Hercules at Olympus, accompanied by Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva; the fresco on the right shows the battle between Hercules … Read more

PHOTO: Courtyard in House of the Black Room at Herculaneum Ruins in Italy

Courtyard at House of the Black Room, excavated at Herculaneum, Italy

Courtyard in the House of the Black Room at Herculaneum features a colonnaded central garden surrounded by distinctive black and white mosaic walkways. The extremely luxurious house, which contained numerous rooms covered in elaborate frescoed walls and ceilings, was one of many destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, which covered the … Read more

The Remarkable Gardens of Cornwall

The Biomes of the Eden Project in Cornwall, England

Cornwall has always been a distinctive part of England. Eons ago two plates of the earth’s crust rammed into one another, uplifting and twisting the underlying rock into the wild and windswept headlands that created its magnificent scenery. Geographically, this southwestern-most tip of England dips it’s toes in the English Channel at a point where … Read more

PHOTO: Ruins of the Palestra Sports Complex at Herculaneum, Italy

The Palestra at the ruins of Herculaneum, Italy, where sporting events were held

The Palestra at Herculaneum contained two swimming pools and a gymnasium and hosted public sporting events. Herculaneum is sister to the better-known Pompeii, Italy, both of which were buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, however more of Herculaneum has been preserved as it was covered by pyroclastic mud that seeped into … Read more