Ancient Stabiae was established in the first centuries BCE and CE in a panoramic position on the edge of Varano hill. Chosen by the aristocracy and members of the Roman Imperial, Ancient Stabiae was home to luxury villas of the Roman elite. After the eruption of the Vesuvius in 79 CE, the city was buried under fourteen meters of dry lapilli (cinder) as were the nearby sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Unlike Pompeii the location was reinhabited and became famous for its thermal springs. The recently excavated villas are spectacularly well-preserved with hundreds of square meters of frescoes in brilliant condition.
												