Gabriel Zuchtriegel: Director of Pompeii
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Director of Pompeii
Gabriel Zuchtriegel (born 1981) is a German-Italian archaeologist who has served as Director-General of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii since 2021. He succeeded Massimo Osanna, and under his leadership the site has pushed forward ambitious new excavation, expanded research and public access, and kept Pompeii at the centre of the world's archaeological attention.
His appointment was notable for his relative youth and international background, and it confirmed Pompeii's shift from the emergency conservation of the 2010s toward an era of confident, scientifically driven discovery. For anyone asking who the director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park is today, Zuchtriegel is the answer.
From Paestum to Pompeii
Before Pompeii, Zuchtriegel made his name as director of the Archaeological Park of Paestum, the great Greek colonial site south of Salerno famous for three of the best-preserved Doric temples anywhere. Appointed there in 2015, he revitalised a site that had been struggling — improving conservation, opening new research, and sharply raising visitor numbers and engagement.
That track record made him a natural choice when Pompeii needed a successor to Massimo Osanna in 2021. He brought to the larger site the same combination of rigorous scholarship and a determination to make archaeology accessible to a broad public.
Major Initiatives
Zuchtriegel's tenure has been defined by activity on several fronts at once. His main initiatives include the following.
- Renewed large-scale excavation in Regio IX, opening previously unexcavated city blocks and producing fresh frescoes, rooms, and everyday objects.
- Excavation of Civita Giuliana, the suburban villa just outside the walls, where a remarkably preserved ceremonial chariot and the cramped quarters of enslaved workers were uncovered.
- A focus on Pompeii's enslaved and ordinary people, using new finds to tell the story of those usually invisible in the archaeological record.
- Wider public access, including efforts to make more of the site barrier-free and to reopen long-closed buildings.
- Scientific and digital documentation, applying modern conservation science, DNA analysis, and digital recording to both new and old discoveries.
- Outreach and education, including books and media aimed at a general audience.
New Discoveries Under His Direction
The headline finds of the Zuchtriegel years have come from Civita Giuliana and Regio IX. At Civita Giuliana, excavators recovered an almost complete four-wheeled ceremonial chariot and, separately, a small room interpreted as the living quarters of an enslaved family — a rare, intimate glimpse of servitude in the Roman world. In Regio IX, a banquet hall emerged with vivid black-walled frescoes depicting scenes from the Trojan War, including Helen and Paris.
These discoveries continue the long story told on the excavation and discovery pages, and many of the most dramatic finds come from the villa at Civita Giuliana.
Continuing a Long Line
Zuchtriegel is the latest in a line of directors stretching back to Giuseppe Fiorelli in the 1860s and Amedeo Maiuri in the 20th century. Each shaped how the city is dug, studied, and shown. To see where he fits among the archaeologists and figures who built modern Pompeii, read the Pompeii people overview.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the current director of Pompeii?
Gabriel Zuchtriegel is the Director-General of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. A German-Italian archaeologist born in 1981, he took up the post in 2021, succeeding Massimo Osanna. Before Pompeii he directed the archaeological park of Paestum, a major Greek temple site in southern Italy, where he was appointed in 2015.
When did Zuchtriegel become director of Pompeii?
Gabriel Zuchtriegel became Director-General of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii in 2021. His appointment continued the recovery begun under his predecessor Massimo Osanna and the EU-funded Great Pompeii Project, and shifted the emphasis toward fresh large-scale excavation, scientific research, and broadening public access to the site.
What has Zuchtriegel discovered at Pompeii?
Under Zuchtriegel's direction, excavations at the suburban villa of Civita Giuliana and in Regio IX have produced remarkable finds — including a preserved ceremonial chariot, the remains of enslaved workers' quarters, and a banquet hall with vivid Trojan War frescoes. His tenure has also seen new conservation work and digital documentation of the site.
Where was Zuchtriegel before Pompeii?
Before leading Pompeii, Gabriel Zuchtriegel directed the Archaeological Park of Paestum from 2015. Paestum, south of Salerno, is famous for three exceptionally preserved Greek temples. His success in revitalising that site — improving conservation, research, and visitor experience — helped lead to his appointment at Pompeii in 2021.