POMPEII, Italy — It was the jewel of Pompeii’s libertines: a brothel decorated with frescoes of erotic figures believed to be the most popular in the ancient Roman city.

The Lupanare — which derives its name from the Latin word “lupa,” or “prostitute” — was presented to the public again yesterday following a year-long, $253,000 restoration to clean up its frescoes and fix the structure.

Pompeii was destroyed in the year 79 by a cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that killed thousands of people — and buried the city in 20 feet of volcanic ash, preserving Pompeii for 1,600 years and providing precious information on what life was like in the ancient world.

Among the buildings was the twostory brothel with 10 rooms — five on each floor — and a latrine. Each tiny room on the ground floor bears a fresco of a different sex scene painted over its door — possibly suggesting the prostitute’s specialty.

The upper floor was for higher-ranking clients. The stone beds were covered with mattresses and each room has names engraved in its walls — possibly those of the prostitutes and their clients.

The brothel — once centrally located near the city’s forum and the market — is open to the public as part of the regular tour of the ruins of Pompeii, east of Naples.