Pompeii Launches AR Experience Recreating Vesuvius Eruption

A new augmented reality experience at the Pompeii archaeological site, launched June 24, allows visitors to witness the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius in real time. Developed by Histoury Inc., the Portyl app is accessible via QR codes at the park entrances and key zones including the Forum, House of the Citharist, Grand Theatre, Odeon, and Amphitheatre. The experience is free until July 15, after which it becomes paid. The tour begins at the House of the Citharist, where digital reconstructions overlay the current ruins, showing rich homes, bustling streets, and original monuments using LiDAR, photogrammetry, and generative AI. The eruption sequence, based on the latest volcanological and archaeological research, includes pumice fall and tremors. Site officials emphasize the goal is historical context, not an amusement park. This initiative marks a new step in immersive heritage mediation, building on previous VR reconstructions of Pompeian houses.