Frescoes hailed as among the finest ever found in Pompeii.

A black banquet hall with pristine frescoes depicting Greek mythological figures has been unveiled in Pompeii, the ancient Roman city buried in an eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The perfectly preserved frescoes, hailed by archaeologists as among the finest ever found in Pompeii, depict figures inspired by the Trojan War.

The excavation, which began in the Regio IX area of the ancient city last year, unearthed stunning frescoes of Prince Paris with Helen of Troy and the god Apollo with the priestess Cassandra.

The room, measuring 16 metres long and six metres wide, links to an open courtyard, and its floor is covered with an intact white mosaic floor.

Nuovo, inestimabile tesoro scoperto a Pompei.
Il servizio del @tg2rai pic.twitter.com/HAPh7Tmjwn

— Gennaro Sangiuliano (@g_sangiuliano) April 11, 2024

“The walls were black to prevent the smoke from the lamps on the walls being seen" - stated Pompeii Archaeological Park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel - "Here they gathered to feast after sunset, the flickering light of the lamps made the images seem to move, especially after a few glasses of good Campania wine."

“Pompeii is truly a treasure chest that never ceases to surprise us", Italy's culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said in a statement, adding: "Every time we dig, we find something beautiful and significant."

The discovery is the latest breathtaking find from the Roman city which last month presented a newly-unearthed fresco depicting the Greek mythological twins Phrixus and Helle.

For full details of the new discovery see Pompeii Sites website. Photo courtesy Pompeii Sites.