Pompeii: Under the Sign of Isis

The great Isis Temple, Egyptian style in house decoration, an artificial canal reproducing the Nile in a villa — Isis and Egypt were very dear to the Pompeian people. During archaeological digs in Pompeii the remains of a young girl — running from the eruption — were found; in her arms she was clutching her silver statue of Isis. The first archaeological discoveries in Pompeii, during the eighteenth century, were integral in spreading one of the strongest fascinations with all things Egyptian during modern times; the discoveries influenced art, fashion, writers and sculptors across the globe. Pompeii was an unavoidable stop in the Grand Tour and still remains essential for any contemporary traveller especially fond of Egyptian esotericism.