Naples National Archaeological Museum
Fiorelli was born on 7 June 1823 in Naples. His initial work at Pompeii was completed in 1848. He was then imprisoned for some time because his radical approach to archaeology and strong nationalist feelings landed him in trouble with the king of Naples, Ferdinand II. During his time as a political prisoner, he produced a three volume work entitled "History of Pompeian Antiques" (1860–64). He subsequently became professor of archaeology at Naples University and director of excavations (1860–75), serving concurrently as director of the Naples National Archaeological Museum from 1863.