Pompeii is found in Campania, Italy, not far from Naples. Its greatest attraction is the ancient Roman city of the same name, which was swallowed up by the mount Vesuvius in the year 79. It is a World Heritage Site according to UNESCO.
Understanding it
The Romans took control of Pompeii around 200 BC. On August 24, AD 79. C., Vesuvius erupted, burying the nearby city of Pompeii in ash and soot, killing 20,000 people, and preserving the city as it was from that fateful day. Pompeii is an excavation (It: scavi) of the site and open-air museum of the ancient Roman city. This site is considered one of the few sites where an ancient city has been preserved in detail - from boats and tables to boxes and people were frozen in time, producing, together with the neighboring Herculaneum, Stabiae and Oplontis who suffered the same fate, an unprecedented opportunity to see how people lived two thousand years ago.
Tickets
One-day tickets are € 11 per adult, € 5.50 for EU citizens between 18 - 24 and school teachers, EU citizens under 18 years of age or above 65 receive free of charge (with a document to prove age). A pass costs € 20 and with it you can visit five sites. This includes Herculaneum and is valid for 3 days. As entry to Herculaneum also € 11 buying this ticket saves you € 2 even if you don't visit any of the other sites. The "Campania Artecard" [1], which costs € 30 offers free entry to numerous sites in the region, if you are planning to be in Campania for several days. The site is open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (November to March from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) and the last ticket is sold 90 minutes before closing. It is closed on January 1, May 1 and December 25. Phone: 081-857-5347.
Audio guides available either at the InfoPoint train station or at the official entrance for € 6.50, € 10 for two people, ID required. They are not available at the east secondary entrance of the Amphitheater - which is the closest entrance to the city center today, if you are walking. Unofficial audio guides offered at one of the market stalls near the entrance. Please note that the audio guide maps are not the same and the official audio guide comes with more audio points of interest. It is a good idea to review both options before deciding. Pompeii can take several hours to explore, so be sure to ask about the battery life of the audio guide before your purchase. Tour guides also gather near the entrance and offer their services. It is a good idea to speak with one for a couple of minutes before deciding, to make sure that you can understand their accent when they speak English. You can join a group of tourists with the InfoPoint train station for € 12 (entrance not included) or € 10 at the official entrance.
To get
For transportation in the area see Campania
By train
On the Naples-Sorrento Circumvesuviana line it takes 30 to 40 minutes to get to Pompeii, either [Naples or Sorrento. Click on the station you want to take the train on in this calendar [2]. It should cost € 1.80 to € 3.20. Get off at "Pompei Scavi". At the station, you can leave your bags for € 1.50 (collect at 7:00 pm in the summer, 6:00 pm October to February), or leave them for free at the ruins (pick up at 7:20 pm). The entrance to Pompeii is about 50m from the station and there is a tourist information office further down the street. If you get off at the "Sanctuary of Pompeii" instead of "Pompei Scavi," the walk through the city is not very far, it is tiring, but it is worth it.
- The cheapest way to get from Rome - take the special train from Termini (each way is 10.50 euros) or the regular train (each way is 22 euros, 29 for first class) to Naples, and then go up the escalator to the Circumvesuviana and buy a ticket to Pompeii Scavi (1.80 euros).
By bus
SITA runs buses from Naples. The cost is the same as the train.
Boat
If you are on a cruise, you can set up an excursion to explore the ruins (bus service) and tickets and information desk will be included. From the cruise ship a hydrofoil travels around the Bay of Naples to Capri, Sorrento and Pompeii (from Naples). A shuttle bus will take you to the ruins.
Disability
Disabled travelers should aim for the entrance at Piazza Anfiteatro, where an itinerary has been designed to meet the needs of visitors with reduced mobility (and parents with strollers, too). Be careful with the main entrance of the Puerta Marina, as it has a lot of stairs.
Travel
This is just a walking site. There are some bikes for rent, but the surfaces make them very impractical. Be aware that walking the ancient stone Roman roads can be very tiring, especially in the heat of summer with lots of other tourists around. Everyone is going to walk on uneven cobbled streets. The temperature ranges between 32 and 35 ° C in the summer. Make sure you drink lots of water and watch your step as the old roads have grooves in them where cars ran. It is advisable to wear good shoes, sunscreen and a hat. There is so much to see and it could take all day to see it all.
When purchasing your ticket, you should receive a map of the place and a brochure that lists the main places of interest. However, these can sometimes be out of print or you may find that the only book available is in Italian. A sitemap is essential if you want to see a large amount in the shortest time possible. Even with a map visiting Pompeii it is a bit like a trip to a maze. Many of the roads, apparently open according to the map, become blocked for excavations or repairs, or, as happened in 2010, because a building collapsed. You might think it's heading towards the exit, but then they have to turn around and retrace their steps to find another way.
Watch
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- The amphitheater. It is in the easternmost corner of the excavated area, near the Sarno entrance gate. It was completed in 80BC, measures 135 x 104 meters and could hold about 20,000 people. It is the surviving former permanent amphitheater in Italy and one of the best preserved anywhere. It is used for gladiatorial battles, other sports, and wild animal shows.
- The Great Palestra (Gymnasium). This occupies a large area in front of the Amphitheater. The central area is used for sports activities and there was a pool in the middle. On three sides are extensive internal porticoes or colonnades.
- House of the Vettii. This is believed to have been the home of two brothers who were freed from slaves and became very wealthy. Contains many frescoes. In the lobby there is a striking fresco of a well endowed ' Priapus, god of fertility, and among the frescoes in other parts of the building are illustrations of couples making love, cupids, and mythological characters.
- House of the Faun. This is the name of a statue of a dancing faun found on the site. It is considered to be an excellent example of the fusion of Italian and Greek architectural styles, occupying an entire city block.
- Forum. This was the center of public life, even though it is now the southwest of the excavated area.
- Temple of Apollo. This is located north of the Basilica on the western side of the Forum. It has the oldest discovered remains, with some, including Etruscan items, dating to 575BC, although the arrangement we now see later than that.
- Theater. Theater built in the hollow of a hill of acoustic advantage, seated 5000
- Via dei Sepolcri (street of the tombs) A long street with ruts from used cars.
- Brothel An old brothel with pornographic frescoes over the entrance to each room, probably indicating the services on offer. Even considering the smaller size of the ancient Romans the beds seem rather small.
- Ancient hunting house. Attractive open style home with many frescoes of hunting scenes.
- The Basilica This is to the west of the Forum. It was the most important public building in the city where justice was administered and commerce took place.
Artifacts *Barn forum As amphorae (jars) and plaster casts of people who do not escape the eruption are stored in this building, which was designed to be the public market, but may not have been finished before the eruption.
- Bathrooms. There are several bathrooms to be inspected. The Forum Baths They are just north of the forum and near the restaurant. They are well preserved and roofed. Be careful not to overlook as the front door is a long passage with no indication of the delights inside. The Central Bathrooms they occupy a much larger area, but are not as well preserved. Nearby are the Stabian baths which have some interesting decorations and give a good idea of how to use the baths to function in Roman times.
- House of the Tragic Poet. This small atrium is best known for the mosaic at the entrance depicting a chained dog, with the words Cave canem or "Beware of the dog."
Other things to keep in mind when walking are:
- Bars and Bakeries You will walk past where bars and bakeries once existed. The bars had counters with three to four holes in them. They have water or other drinks available in the holes. Bakery ovens "look similar to the old stone brick oven. Baker's House It has a garden area with lava mill wheels used to grind wheat.
- The Street There are tracks for cars on the street for a smoother ride. There are also stone blocks on the street for pedestrians to stage where they cross the street. Sidewalks are taller than the modern sidewalk because the streets had water and debris flowing through them. The stone blocks on the street were also as high as the sidewalk, so that people did not walk in the waste and water.
- Plasters Most of the inhabitants of ancient Pompeii died during the eruption and their bodies were completely engulfed by the hot ashes that rained down from the sky. In 1870, Giuseppe Fiorelli used a technique based on filling the empty spaces where the corpses had decomposed with liquid plaster to produce perfect casts of the victims of the eruption. Once the plaster had hardened, the surrounding soil was removed and the mold was brought to light. This technique was used to produce a number of casts of human bodies, animals, and objects. The Antiquarium de Boscopreale also exhibits the epoxy resin model made in 1984 of one of the victims found in the Villa di Lucius Crassius Tertius in Oplontis. The transparent distribution allows to observe the jewels and objects that the victims brought with them.
Long live destruction. Outside the city walls:
- Villa dei Misteri (Villa of the Mysteries) A house with curious frescoes, perhaps of women who are initiated into the cult of Dionysus. Contains one of the best fresco cycles in Italy, as well as humorous old-fashioned graffiti.
In the modern city of Pompeii:
- There's a Sanctuary (church), which is a pilgrimage site for Roman Catholics. For others, it is not a must-see, but if arriving or departing via the Pompei Santuario de la Circumvesuviana station, rather than Pompei Scavi, it may be worth at least a brief look inside. this place of veneration of the Virgin Mary.
What to do
- Plan your visit in advance on Google Maps or Google Earth, or relive it later. There is Streetview coverage of part of the city and there are 3D models of many of the buildings. Bing Maps also offers highly detailed oblique views of the city.
- Buy a guide. Get the official guide (Pompeii: guide to the site, edited by Electa Napoli) at the on-site bookstore next to the ticket office. Plenty of guides and maps are available, but this one perfectly combines the two.
- Also visit the National Museum of Naples, where most of the best preserved mosaics and items found from Pompeii are kept.
- Also visit sister site Herculaneum, is that only one Circumvesuviana set aside and suffered a fate similar to Pompeii. Even though it is a smaller site it was covered by a pyroclastic surge (instead of the ash and lapilli that covered Pompeii). This allowed a few second plants to survive.
- Take a look at random villas, as sometimes even small side rooms have amazing frescoes (wall paintings).
- Don't miss the "Garden of the Fugitives" in the south-east part where plaster casts of various victims (unfortunately, including children) are on display where they sank The plants in this garden have been rebuilt to match with ancient growth, based on the study of plaster models of plant roots.
- Walk outside the city gates to the Villa of the Mysteries, one of the greatest houses to come to us since ancient times. Even on a very hot day it is worth the hike.
- Insert a large memory card into your camera. There are hundreds of photo opportunities on this site.
Information
PompeiIn [email protected] 39 3284134719 offers various itineraries in ancient Pompeii lasting from 1 hour to 6 hours. The guides are local, licensed and graduated in archeology; they are able to provide children and disabled friendly tours, and with their vast knowledge of ancient history and society they are able to make ancient Pompeii come to visit. life. The highlights of the city are covered, such as the Forum, the Baths, the brothel, the bakeries, the House of the Faun and the House of the Tragic Poet, the amphitheater, the theaters, the Villa of the Mysteries, the cemeteries and the fortifications of the city.
To buy
Interesting plastic books * "Past and Present" is sold for € 12.
- Buy a guide book for € 5, so you can read more about the interesting city's history, buildings and artifacts. There is a lot to learn from the Romans and to see how they lived.
- Cameos. It is a local specialty and tour buses frequently stop at a factory.
To eat
- On the way from the station to the official store entrance charges they try to sell things at very expensive prices, but the food is not exceptional. Drinks, especially the freshly pressed orange and lemon juices, however, are fantastic, especially in the heat, although a bit pricey (€ 3.00 for a glass)
- You can get a very good panino (stuffed bread roll) at some of the stands. The one at the closest end of the Porta Marina has some fantastic darlings.
- There is also a cafe and restaurant in the excavation area, north of the Forum. Not surprisingly, this is quite expensive and not very good. However, it is a good place to take a break and recover, especially with its air conditioning. If you don't have time to rest, you can get € 3 ice cream from a service window that overlooks the street. The restaurant has toilets, apparently the only ones on the site.
Go out and drink
- Remember to bring enough water to drink as it is quite hot on the dusty streets. Keep the bottles empty to refill as there are occasional water taps all over the dispensing site instead of strange smelling water that nonetheless appears to be drinkable.
- Lemon and orange granita bought from off-site are a tasty way to cool off.
Sleep
- Hotel Maiuri (4 stars), Via Acquasalsa, 20. A few minutes walk from the excavations and the city center. Free parking.Price: € 65 - € 130.
- Forum Hotel, Via Roma 99 (Very close to the eastern entrance to the excavations.). ☎081 850 11 70, fax: 081 850 61 32, ✉: [email protected]. A quiet and comfortable hotel located back from the road. Breakfast is good. There is free parking near the hotel.Price: € 90 for a double or two single beds. Check website for discounts.Unknown parameter: weather
Stay safe
Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano and can erupt at any time. Scientists have come up with a system to detect impending eruptions, though, so feel free to browse the Pompeii ruins and not fear seeing ash and lapilli (pumice) fall. It is more likely that you should be trying to protect yourself from pickpockets. The site attracts a large number of international visitors every day, and this money attracts thieves, in order to keep your valuables protected, especially near the entrances and the train station.
If you come by car, be aware not to park in the parking lot near the entrance to the archaeological zone. It's a tourist trap! Although there is no price listed at the entrance of the car park, you will be surprised to learn that it costs € 2 per hour when it comes to getting out, and you cannot leave unless you pay. This means that if your visit to Pompeii lasts a whole day (which a site like this certainly deserves) you may end up paying up to € 20 or more. Much cheaper parking lots a few hundred meters down the hill in town, and if you are staying in one of the Pompeii hotels you normally have free parking.
Next destination
- Go by train to Naples
- Visit the sister site of the Herculaneum
- Head to the Underwater Archaeological Park of Bayas
- Take a trip to the Amalfi Coast
- Take a boat from Naples or Sorrento to the island of Capri
- Buses leave from Mt. Vesuvius on site (8 a day, every half hour from 09:30 to 10:30 and every hour from 11:25, is 1 hour)
- Ride the local train Circumvesuviana to the Antiquarium of Boscoreale, a nice museum displeing every day laife dicovered objects in the archaeological sites of Vesuvius.
- Go by Circumvesuviana localtrain to Oplontis
- Go by Circumvesuviana localtrain to Stabiae