World Heritage and War: The Bombing of Pompeii

Professor Nigel Pollard uses the little-known story of the bombing of Pompeii during the Second World War to reflect on the risk that conflict poses to cultural heritage sites.

In 1943, during the fighting in Italy, the archaeological site of Pompeii sustained damage from Allied bombs being dropped on roads and railways in the vicinity. Pompeii was by no means the only historical site in Italy to be affected by the campaign, highlighting the significant perils that warfare can present to cultural heritage.

Join Professor Nigel Pollard as he places this episode in the context of the wider developments around cultural protection that were taking shape during the Second World War.

About the speaker

Nigel Pollard

Nigel Pollard is Associate Professor in the College of Arts and Humanities at Swansea University.