SALVE, as the Romans would say—greetings and welcome to Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples.

The Bay of Naples is a beautiful place. Its rocky coast drops dramatically into dazzling blue waters. The land is fertile, terraced with vines and fruit trees. Cool breezes temper the heat of sunny days. The seafood is unsurpassed. No wonder the area attracted the imperial family and Rome's wealthiest citizens, who left the capital each spring and summer for lavish villas. An ideal spot for otium, the bay was a place to enjoy many pleasures—invigorating exercise in parklike surroundings; the best food and drink; the most refined décor; the newest entertainments; and the solitude to read, write, and think.

The region was also home to thriving towns, places of negotium. In bustling commercial centers such as Pompeii, townspeople copied the lifestyle of the villa owners to the extent their means allowed, and many locals were very rich themselves. It was a climate in which the arts could prosper—as you'll discover as you explore the exhibition. We owe this remarkably detailed look at the past to the destruction brought about by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. But here you'll find life—the good life even—that was enjoyed around the Bay of Naples.

Two seaside villas, 1st century BC–1st century AD, fresco, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli