Pompeii, one of the most famous cities in Italy
Located on the Bay of Naples
in the Region of Campania in south-west Italy, Pompeii is a city frozen in
time and one of the most famous cities. It was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79 AD, caught between
Vesuvius and the sea. The eruption was two days old when a sudden change
of wind brought a huge cloud of burning hot ash crashing down without
warning - catching most of the population. Aristocrat and slave perished
together. It is a city, not a village, and is known to have been where
many wealthy Romans had holiday villas. You can walk through its streets
and see its shops, houses, theatre, gladiator school, forums and markets.
In the haunting Garden of the Fugitives you can even see its people: 17
casts made from the pockets of air found during excavation. There is a
woman with her arms stretched forward to ward off her fate; others,
mouths open, uselessly shielding children; even making love.
The human detail is best seen
in the House of Vettii, the home of two merchant brothers. Even the
flowers in the garden left botanically exact impressions in the ash, as
did the dripping water feeding the cooling system in the atrium.
Remarkably intact frescoes were found in some rooms.
Throughout the city, some of
the best revelations are public and private frescoes, which give clues to
daily life in Pompeii, its festivals and routines. Nowhere can this be
seen more effectively than in the brothel, where above each doorway is a
mini-fresco showing the occupant's specialties. Do not miss the House of
Vettii as it is the best example of human life in Pompeii. Also the
Temple of Venus, the basilica, the theatre, the gladiator's barracks, and
the Villa of the Misteries. You can get to Pompeii by train or bus from
Naples or Sorrento.
