Herculaneum - Herculaneum

Herculaneum (ital. Ercolano) is a city in Campania Near Naplesthat occurred in AD 79 by a volcanic eruption at the same time as Pompeii was spilled. Later, ignorant of the remains, the city became Resina built over the tufa-covered ruins. Today some of the old buildings have been exposed. The archaeological site of Herculaneum belongs to the UNESCO world heritage.

background

In the area of ​​the town Resina Finds were made around 1710 while excavating a well in the theater area, which led to digging with the aim of unearthing as many valuable sculptures as possible via rapidly excavated shafts. From 1738 under the Bourbon king Charles III. of Naples systematic excavations in the area of ​​the theater, which unfortunately many structures fell victim to due to insufficient documentation and conservation. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the excavations were carried out under King Vittorio Emanuele II.
The excavations were only systematically carried out in 1927/58 Amedeo Maiuri carried out. By 1942, most of the structures that can be viewed today were excavated. In recent decades, research has been carried out in the area of ​​the ancient beach section and rooms in the basement of the adjoining one Villa dei Papiri discovered.

history

The founding of the city, according to legend attributed to Herakles returning from Iberia, was probably made by Greek colonists as Herakleion. The city was subsequently in the hands of the Oscar and the Samnites. In the Roman alliance war it was conquered in 89 by a legate of the Roman general Sulla and experienced a boom with lively construction activity in the Augustan period after numerous wealthy Romans had villas built here with a view of the Gulf of Naples.

Similar to Pompeii was also Herculaneum caused by the earthquake in AD 62. Affected, Emperor Vespasian funded the renovation of the basilica and temple when the devastating eruption of the Vesuvius in AD 79 the region suffered and led to the city's demise.
The city with approx. 4000 inhabitants on a walled area of ​​20 hectares was covered in a first phase by a rain of ash, which caused the majority of the residents to flee. It was followed by a pyroclastic flow with an embers / ash avalanche spreading at enormous speed on the slope of Vesuvius, which fell victim to numerous residents who had sought refuge at the harbor in the area of ​​boat houses. The wooden structures were charred, the buildings filled with volcanic material and the city was covered by more viscous magma / ash mixture over the course of the following night. This hardened to tuff and preserved the city for over 1700 years.

getting there

By plane

The nearest airport is that of Naples / Napoli-Capodichino , alternatively, from 41.80027777777812.238888888889Rome Fiumicino Airport(IATA: FCO) with the trains of Trenitalia to be traveled to 40.88444444444414.290833333333Naples airport(IATA: NAP).

By train

From Naples the archaeological site is with the trains of the Ferrovia Circumvesuviana easily accessible. The stop of the 40.8084514.35551 Circumvesuviana Ercolano-Scavi lies on the lines Napoli - Sorrento and Napoli - Poggiomarino. The excavation site can be reached via the "Via Quattro Novembre" to the west.

The trains of the line Napoli - Salerno the Trenitalia reach the station 40.8098514.335862 Portici - Ercolano F.S. in just under 15 minutes. The footpath to the archaeological site is a little further and poorly signposted.

In the street

From the toll A3 Autostrada Napoli - Salerno - Reggio di Calabria The archaeological site is easily accessible from the Ercolano reachable. Sufficient parking is available at the main entrance in the south of the site.

mobility

In the area of ​​the excavations one moves on foot. A special path for people with disabilities is marked in Italian and French.

Tourist Attractions

Scavi di Ercolano, Via dei Papiri Ercolanesi. Tel.: 081 7324311, Fax: 081 7324344, Email: [email protected]. Open: 8.30am-7.30pm (Nov-March 8.30am-5pm (last admission 6pm / 3.30pm).Price: 11.00 / 5.50 € (combined ticket for five archaeological sites including Pompeii on three consecutive days 20.00 / 10.00 €).last change: not specified

The website provides information on the buildings currently available for viewing. Many are closed for security reasons or due to a lack of supervisory staff. The Villa dei Papiri and the theatre are not open to the public.

A suggestion for one tour:

• There are toilets in the area of ​​the ticket counters. From the terrace there is a beautiful overview of the active city, several meters below today's city level, which was excavated under tuff. A bridge leads to the access to the southeast 40.8059214.34597Cardo III1 Type is group designationCardo III, the most northerly west-east running street.
• To the left of the Cardo III you get to the 40.80613214.346Casa di Aristide2 Type is group designationCasa di Aristide (through the building with Opus reticulatum (diamond-shaped angled bricks) the first excavators paved their way to the Villa dei Papiri in the Bourbon period), 40.80625814.346247Casa d'Argo3 Type is group designationCasa d'Argo (The entrance to this building with an impressive portico was on the north side in the not yet excavated Cardo II) and 40.80638314.346668Casa del Genio4 Type is group designationCasa del Genio (also only the rear part with a pillared hall has been excavated), the building, which a find of a statuette of one genius gave its name, extends further north under what is now the city.
• To the right of the street is the 40.80602914.346455Casa dell'Albergo5 Type is group designationCasa dell 'Albergo (with a terrace, a large green area with surrounding columned hall, a thermal bath and numerous outbuildings, this building was interpreted as an inn) and the 40.80622814.346809Casa dello Scheletro6 Type is group designationCasa dello Scheletro. This building was probably created from merged structures and was given the name because of a skeleton discovered during excavations. Inside there are frescoes and a lararium (house altar) decorated with mosaics. As an archaeological feature, there is a metal grille cover over the inner courtyard.

After crossing with the cross one Decumanus inferior one arrives at Insula VI with the

• Thermal baths: The entrance to the 40.80653214.34732Terms machili7 Type is group designationMen's thermal baths is on Cardo III.

In front of the thermal baths is a palaestra, a "sports field" surrounded by a pillared hall. The entrance to the thermal baths leads to the changing room (with niches for storing clothes), followed by the Frigidarium (Cold bath), dem Tepidarium with a floor mosaic depicting a Triton and the Caldarium, the hot bath.

• The entrance to the 40.80622814.347499Terms femminili8 Type is group designationWomen's thermal baths is on the other side of the block Cardo IV. In the women's thermal baths you also get to a changing room with a niche for clothes Tepidarium with a similar floor mosaic depicting a Triton and the Caldarium.
• Continue on the Cardo III The closes towards the northeast 40.80657614.347564Casa dei due atri9 Type is group designationCasa dei due atri at. The elongated formerly two-story building had a square atrium in the entrance area and a second atrium with an impluvium and a garden-like system inside the building.
• It closes the entrance of the 40.80660814.347683Casa del Colonnato Tuscanico10 Type is group designationCasa del Colonnato Tuscanico at. A small treasure of 1400 sesterces was found in the house with an inner courtyard with a colonnade and rooms decorated with frescoes.

The east side of the site is delimited by the main street, the Decumanus maximus.

• On the decumanus there is a "triumphal arch" made of brick with a beautiful ceiling.
• This can be found in the building on the corner of Cardo III 40.80673314.347852Sede degli Augustali11 Type is group designationsanctuary or the Seat of the Augustals, the seat of the order of freedmen (formerly slaves) for the veneration of the emperor Augustus, which emerges from an inscription. The Cella is painted with frescoes showing figures from Greek mythology.
• After a Food stall (Termopolio) with a counter with vessels for the food follows the main entrance to Casa del Colonnato Tuscanico from the main road.
• The shop-lined entrance of the follows 40.80645314.347802Casa del Salone nero12 Type is group designationCasa del Salone nero. Via an anteroom and the atrium one arrives at a columned hall (peristyle) with the Salone nero in the West. The room with a mosaic floor is painted with frescoes of pseudo-architecture (style IV) with a black background.
• In the following block the Insula V the access to the 40.8062514.348218Casa del Bicentenario13 Type is group designationCasa del Bicentenario.

If you're already on the Decumanus is on the way, you can take a detour to the Cardo IV make some distinctive buildings:

• Past the Casa del Salone nero and the entrance to the Frauentherme can be reached via the Decumanus inferior to on the north side of the Cardo IV located 40.80610214.347114Casa del Tramezzo di legno14 Type is group designationCasa del Tramezzo di legno with a wooden partition between the atrium and the tablinum, the dining room. This house is also decorated with frescoes. They close further to the west Casa a Gratticio with a balcony and next to it the also small building 40.80598514.34686Casa dell'Erma di Bronze15 Type is group designationCasa dell'Erma di Bronzeto which the discovery of a bronze head of a herm gave its name. The rooms are frescoed in the III. and IV style decorated.
• The house is on the south side of the street 40.80568114.346654Casa dell Atrio a Mosaico16 Type is group designationCasa dell Atrio a Mosaicowhich, due to its terrace location and furnishings, must have belonged to a wealthy resident. The atrium is decorated with a geometric black and white mosaic around the impluvium.
• It closes just further to the east 40.8058514.346932Casa dell'Alcova17 Type is group designationCasa dell'Alcova at. The building with a niche-like interior (alcove) was created by assembling two houses.

• On the way back, again east of the crossing Decumanus inferior, one arrives at 40.80602214.34746Casa Sannitica18 Type is group designationCasa Sannitica, a large from the 2nd century BC. Original house with a marble-lined impluvium and frescoes in the I & II style.
• They close Casa del Telaio and Casa del Mobilio Carbonizzato at.
• In the 40.80620814.347805Casa di Nettuno e Anfitrite19 Type is group designationCasa di Nettuno e Anfitrite the colorful mosaic of Neptune and Amphitrite is one of the special treasures of Herculaneum. In the same room there is also a lararium adorned with colorful mosaics, a house temple.
• The closes further to the east 40.80633614.34796Casa del bel Cortile20 Type is group designationCasa del bel Cortile at. What is particularly impressive about this two-story building is the preserved brick staircase to the upper floor.

Back on the Decumanus maximus is it heading south to get into the Cardo V to turn in.

• At the Cardo V lies the 40.80601114.34797Casa dell'Atrio Corinzio21 Type is group designationCasa dell'Atrio Corinzio with an atrium surrounded by Corinthian columns.
• They close Casa del Saccello, the Casa del Giardino and on the inferior decumanus the 40.805909714.347568Casa del Gran Portals22 Type is group designationCasa del Gran Portals with one after the earthquake of 62 AD. built a huge portal with Corinthian half-columns.
• On the other side of the street there are partly huge two-story buildings with shops (food stalls, bakeries) and craft shops.
• A passage leads to 40.8056714.34821Palestra23 Type is group designationPalestra. The sports field, which is largely buried under the present-day town (a cross-shaped corridor was driven into the tufa), was surrounded by a columned hall that was still partially preserved. A chapel-like room that 40.80572814.348095Aula apsidiata24 Type is group designationAula apsidiata probably served for victorious or god honors.

• Further to the south is the on the left 40.80546314.347341Casa del Rilievo di Telefo25 Type is group designationCasa del Rilievo di Telefo. The very representative building with a sea view probably belonged to a potentate of the city. In addition to the relief depiction of Telephos, the son of Heracles, those hung between the pillars are striking Oscilla, Marble disks with representations that probably had the character of amulets.
• It closes the 40.80535114.347126Casa della Gemma26 Type is group designationCasa della Gemma at.

• On the northwest side of Cardo V is the small one Casa della Stoffa and then, another showpiece from Herculaneum, the 40.80553114.346919Casa dei Cervi27 Type is group designationCasa dei Cervi. A corridor leads from the atrium to one Triclinium (Dining room), a kitchen and an alcove. In the symmetrically laid out garden, a terrace with a splendid view of the beach immediately in front of the city, next to a table were marble statues depicting deer attacked by numerous dogs (the originals are in Antiquarium to see).

• The way from Cardo V leads down to a terrace above the then beach with a sacred area with small chapel-like sanctuaries and the 40.80536114.346641Area Sacra28 Type is group designationAltar by Marcus Nonius Balbus.
• Unfortunately they are 40.80522214.346784Suburbant thermal baths29 Type is group designationSuburbant thermal baths, which are considered to be one of the best preserved Roman thermal baths, with the Frigidarium (Cold bath), Tepidarium, caldarium (Hot bath) and Laconicum (Dmapfbad) closed for viewing.

• Along those set into the retaining walls Boathouses On the former beach of Herculaneum, the path leads through a tunnel dug into the tuff up to the entrance and museum area.

Unfortunately these are currently theatre (to which underground tunnels were dug) and the Villa dei Papiri not to be visited.

activities

The tour of the archaeological site alone takes at least 2 hours, depending on the degree of detail. If you are more interested, you should quickly plan half a day. In addition, there is a visit to the antiquarium with original art objects.

shop

Few souvenirs and guides are available on site in the archaeological site.

kitchen

In the parking area in front of the archaeological site, drinks are available in vending machines. Zeils are sold by hawkers with their market stalls souvenirs and beverage cans.

Restaurants can be found in the near modern Ercolano.

nightlife

The excavation site will be closed before sunset. The nightlife takes place in the places at the foot of Mount Vesuvius and in nearby Naples.

accommodation

health

Practical advice

Information is available from the Biglietteria at the entrance to the archaeological site.

The mobile network is well developed in the region.

trips

• For those interested in archeology, there are excursions to Pompeii (not in a day, that would be too much for the not very tough), Oplontis, Boscoreale and Stabiae with Roman villas.

More on this...

• The visit of Herculaneum with an excursion to the "originator" of the volcanic catastrophe, to whom we owe the archaeological treasures to Vesuvius.

literature

Web links

• www.pompeiisites.org, official website in ital.
• http://www.herculaneum.org engl., website of the Herculaneum Conservation Project with a Virtual tour
• Ercolano Scavi archeologici in ital., not easy to see through website with some plans and pictures
• http://www.ingo-buth.de/2013/09/14/tanz-unterm-vulkan/ in German, short illustrated travel report with practical tips (September 2013)