Partially restored ancient fresco depicting marriage of Dionysus, Ariadne displayed in Pompeii

Sections of an ancient fresco depicting the marriage of the Greek god Dionysus and Ariadne have been partially restored and are now on display at Pompeii's Palestra Grande. The fresco, originally from the vaulted ceiling of a banquet hall in the Casa con Pacificio (House with Bakery), portrays Dionysus and Ariadne in a chariot, surrounded by allegorical figures and symbols of Dionysus's cult. The restoration, which began with preliminary reassembly, utilized a curved, modular support to reconstruct over a quarter of the original mural, allowing for future additions. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of Pompeii Archaeological Park, stated that this restoration is part of a series of studies on the Dionysian theme, chosen as the guiding theme for the park's 2026 projects. Separately, in May, a human cast found in Pompeii's Garden of the Fugitives was identified as a doctor, discovered with a case of medical instruments.