The ancient city of Pompeii is located near Naples in southern Italy. It was once a small town with its back to the mountains and its front to the sea. After the whole city was destroyed by the sudden eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the northwest, its streets and houses were buried deep in volcanic ash, which nonetheless preserved the life scenes of Pompeii from more than two thousand years ago. Later, this huge archeological site was gradually excavated. Now tourists can visit remains that were once buried in ashes, such as the ancient Roman amphitheater, private mansions, and wall reliefs on the public square.