Italy's Pompeii reopens its ruins to public

The ancient city was covered in volcanic ash nearly 2,000 years ago after the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius [Photo: AFP]

Italy's world-famous archaeological site Pompeii reopened to the public on Tuesday as the country's coronavirus lockdown lifted -- though there were more guides than tourists.

The exceptionally-preserved remains of an ancient city, covered in volcanic ash nearly 2,000 years ago after the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius, are usually the country's second-most visited site after the Colosseum in Rome.