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With Mount Vesuvius looming over the city it was only a matter of time.
The story of the destruction of Pompeii has intrigued me for as long as I can remember. The thought of the citizens being buried from the ash descending from the volcano’s fiery lava, is something nightmares are made of. Having recently hiked to a nearby ridge of Guatemala’s Volcan Pacaya, I watched the lava flow quickly down it’s slopes and felt the heat emanating from the lava’s rocks. What if something causes the lava flow to change direction…my direction? Certainly, this is what the citizens of Pompeii must have thought. Only that time…it did.
For years, while visiting Rome, it was difficult knowing I was so close to Pompeii, but never having sufficient time to make the hour and a half journey. This time, I was in Naples and I had ample time. This was my chance.
Rising early, we made our way on the metro to Naples’ train station. Following directions to the Circumvesuviana train, we purchased tickets and waited patiently for the train which would take us to Pompeii. To say we were excited was an understatement and as we pulled into the station, we decided to join a tour group to make the most of our visit.
Following our tour guide into the maze of streets and buildings, we learned that in 79 AD, the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under as much as twenty feet of volcanic ash and pumice when Mount Vesuvius erupted, preserving the cities as they once were. This was the most surprising to me as I had always envisioned that most of Pompeii would be in ruins.
In 1763, Pompeii was uncovered and identified. A year later, excavations, let by Karl Weber and then, Francisco la Vega began. Preserved under the layers of ash, the wealthy city was frozen as it was on that fateful day. Fine public buildings, luxurious homes, furnishings, works of art and human bodies were entombed in the ash. Yet, no petrified human bodies that I had envisioned. Instead, where the bodies were entombed, voids were left leaving the archaeologists to fill and use as molds to make plaster casts of these individuals in their final moments of life.
As we walked along the UNESCO World Heritage Site, we discovered that as the ash buried the city, it preserved it almost immaculately. Many homes and buildings lined the cobblestones streets, some still sporting their roofs and all four walls. Inside these buildings, there were some with artwork still view-able as well as ancient graffiti carved on the walls and inside rooms. Along the outsides of many buildings there were paintings and words, believed to have been a sort of newspaper for the citizens, changing often and informing of current events.
One of the first sites we visited was the Triangular Forum, which garners its name from its unusual shape. Entering through a monumental corridor we were lead into a triangular square surrounded by a 95 column colonnade surrounding an open area, making for some spectacular photographs. Our guide explained that the wide corridor might have been used as a running track or for horse races held during religious festivals.
Exiting the Triangular Forum, we found ourselves near a large theater. Although the entrance was a tight one, we waited patiently to enter the small shaft entering the semi-circular stands fronting a theater stage. Standing on the stairs, we were trying to get a great selfies when we heard singing. A great testament to the amazing acoustics of the theater, we listened intently as one of the visitors stood on the theater stage and belted out an operatic solo! Truly a beautiful moment!
One of the most interesting (and popular) sites we visited was the ancient lupanar, more commonly known in today’s terms as the brothel. Though not known whether the frescoes that decorate the upper walls were descriptions of what customers could order or just decoration, they were fascinating to see along with the stone beds.
Heading toward the Forum, we found it quite crowded as it probably was during its heyday. The Forum was the main center of life in Pompeii, where citizens met to shop and exchange information as well as experience religious and commercial events. It was here that we were able to see some of the plaster casts of the residents who were consumed by the ash and pumice. A very eerie sight indeed, one appeared to be asleep and another in a prayer-like pose. Though I had anticipated seeing these figures, I had thought they would be scattered throughout the site, not behind bars, however, I later learned that at the rear of the ancient site, in the Garden of the Fugitives, there are 13 preserved casts of the citizens that died there in the vineyard.
In the middle of the Forum we found the Temple of Apollo, one of the oldest religious buildings of Pompeii. Though the statues found here are replicas (the originals now reside at the Archaeological Museum of Naples), it is one of the most important parts of the site, as it was in this location that different gods were worshiped, including Apollo and Mercury.
It was here, in the Forum, that we parted ways with our guide who left us with some ideas on other parts of Pompeii to visit. Following her advice, we headed to the nearby Forum Baths. The interior of these baths are well preserved, and it is possible to discern how the baths were heated when they were still in use. Though they are the smallest of all the bath ruins in Pompeii, they were the most elegant and included separate entrances for men and women.
The largest house in Pompeii (30,000 square feet) is named for the unique statue in the front courtyard, The Dancing Faun, which we immediately noticed upon our entrance. The House of Faun was built in the 2nd century BC and is the most complete surviving example of a wealthy and luxurious private residence. As we walked throughout the remains of the grand home, there were many mosaics including one depicting a battle scene; the Alexander Mosaic. Today, what is seen is a re-creation, with the original residing in the Archaeology Museum of Naples.
Moving through the streets, we entered many structures; shops, homes, latrines. What we headed for next, however, was located at the far western part of the city…the oldest surviving Roman amphitheater in existence…the Pompeii Spectacula. This was the first Roman amphitheater built of stone and constructed over a century before Rome’s famous Colosseum. This immense amphitheater could seat the entire population of Pompeii and hosted all the sporting events in the city.
Though seeing the venue of ancient sporting events was quite thrilling, we were more impressed with the large exhibit in the interior tunnels detailing another important event held there in 1972…Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, a concert documentary film which featured the band performing in the ancient site. Why Pompeii’s ancient amphitheater? Many photographs detailed the event, yet the most compelling part of the exhibit was the story of how the director of the film dropped his passport while visiting Pompeii. Sneaking in after hours to find it, he was mesmerized by the deserted amphitheater and its silence…he decided then and there that it would make an excellent backdrop for the band’s music. As they say, the rest is history.
The Grand Palestra was next door and offered a place to get out of the intense early afternoon heat. Offering an art exhibit in one of its interior halls, we admired the wide array of modern craftsmanship before admiring the picturesque open area that was used as an exercise park and a place for youth groups. A place for sports and games, it also housed a pool for swimming.
Walking among the tombs of the Necropolis of Porta Nocera, we headed back among the maze of streets, gardens and buildings. Pompeii is such a massive archaeological site that there was so much more that we would not get to discover.
Because we had hired a tour guide, we were not given a map, being told that there were a shortage and only those purchasing an audio guide were allowed to take one. This made it quite difficult to explore all parts of the site and comprehend exactly what we were seeing. Though we searched for a “basilica” as per our tour guides instructions, we could not find what we thought we were searching for as we expected to find a church. Indeed we did find The Basilica, a lavish building used for business and the administration of justice, we did not realize our discovery until later.
Despite our directional shortcomings, we did see a great deal of Pompeii, however, to fully see the entire site, a full day or more should be allotted. With Herculaneum and Mount Vesuvius nearby and limited time allowed in our schedule, we eventually had to come to the conclusion that we had seen all that we could.
Pompeii, Italy’s lost city, is something that all visitors to southern Italy should take the time to see. More impressive than I could ever imagine, we were dazzled with all that we experienced and realized that this archaeological site was one that could be seen on multiple occasions while still discovering new items of interest.
Pompeii was once Italy’s lost city…lost to the forces of nature, but found again to be learned from and explored by future generations.
Just make sure you download a map and have a plan.
Pompeii may have once been lost, but you don’t have to be!
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Pompeii
- https://www.pompeionline.net/
- Address: Via Traversa Andolfi 20, 80045 Pompeya, Italia, 80045
- Hours: March 1-November 31, daily, 0900-1700 (last admission 1530), April 1-October 31, daily, 0900-1930 (last admission 1800). Saturday and Sunday, opening 0830. Closed January 1, May 1 and December 25.
- Admission: Adult, €15.00, Reduced €9.00. First Sunday of each month, October thru March, admission is free.
- Getting There: Circumvesuviana train from Naples and Sorrento, Pompei Scavi – Villa Dei Misteri station. Trains run every 30 minutes and costs €2.80. By bus, SITA from Naples and Salerno, CSTP #4 from Salerno, CSTP from Salerno #50 (express highway). By car, motorway A3, Napoli-Salerno (exit Pompeii west).
- Tips: Bring water, especially during the summer months as it gets extremely hot. No large backpacks. Be prepared for massive crowds, especially during the summer months. There is a food venue behind the Forum offering options for lunch and many restaurants near the entrance.
