Description : Stabiae was an ancient city situated near the modern town of Castellammare di Stabia and approximately 4.5 km southwest of Pompeii. Like Pompeii, and being only 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from Mount Vesuvius, this seaside resort was largely buried by tephra ash in 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius, in this case at a smaller depth of up to five metres. Stabiae is most famous for the Roman villas found there which have provided some of the most stunning architectural and artistic remains from any Roman villas. They were the largest concentration of excellently preserved, enormous, elite seaside villas in the entire Roman world. The villas were sited on a 50 m high headland overlooking the Gulf of Naples. However, unlike Pompeii and Herculaneum, Stabiae was reburied by 1782 and so failed to establish itself as a destination for travellers on the Grand Tour and subsequently has unjustifiably been in their shadow. Many of the objects and frescoes taken from these villas are now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
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