Venturing into Herculaneum was a first for me, and I was utterly captivated from the moment we stepped through its ancient gates. For years, my imagination had been primarily captured by Pompeii. I’d seen countless documentaries, read books, and envisioned the sprawling city frozen in ash and visited three times over the last twenty years. So, I arrived in Herculaneum with certain expectations, mostly taken from its more famous, larger sibling. What I found, however, was a personal surprise. Herculaneum is undeniably smaller and much quieter than Pompeii. There are fewer crowds, less tour groups, and a more hushed atmosphere that immediately sets it apart. But it was precisely this…
