EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VISITING THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF POMPEI
I think we can all agree that Italy is a beautiful country, which has a lot to offer in terms of tourism. From a historical point of view, it is a real treasure. The ancient city of Pompeii is certainly one of the most important jewels of this country, both from a touristic and historical point of view.
Ancient Pompeii is one of the cities discovered in the volcanic ash of Vesuvius, located in the archaeological site of modern-day Pompeii. It offers a clear look at daily life from the Roman period, with cobbled streets, public buildings, private homes, all very well preserved. Pompeii is a unique example of an ancient city preserved almost intact, giving researchers and visitors a direct window into the culture, society and way of life of the Romans two millennia ago.
HOW TO GET TO THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF POMPEII:
The nearest airport is the one in Naples, where frequent flights are operated by Wizzair and Ryanair. From the airport there is a bus to Naples. To get to the city of Pompeii, there is a train from Naples Central Station. Once you arrive in town, either call a taxi or walk to the archaeological site. The journey from the train station to the archaeological site takes about 10-15 minutes on foot. There is also the option of using a local bus that can drop you off directly at the site entrance.
If you come with a personal or rented car, there is paid parking near the archaeological site.
Another option to reach the Archaeological Site of Pompeii is as part of a trip departing from Naples and which you can purchase here. You can also opt for a trip to visit Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, tickets here.
VISITING THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF POMPEII:
The archaeological site is actually an ancient city in natural size. Entrance tickets can be purchased at the counter or if you want to avoid standing in line, you can purchase them online. You can opt for a simple ticket, with a guide, with a visit to Herculaneum, with a visit to Vesuvius and wine tasting.
A map taken from the entrance desk or a guide, comfortable shoes and a full day reserved for exploring are my recommendations for a visit to this place, to which, if you choose to come here in the summer, we add sun protection and enough drinking water. Also, a guide would help you to understand better the history of the place, the way the inhabitants of ancient Pompeii lived and the sequence of events that caused thousands of people to be buried alive, including their own houses.
The ruins were discovered at the end of the 16th century by a well digger, but no archaeological excavations were carried out until 1748, when these ruins were identified as belonging to ancient Pompeii.
What happened to the city of Pompeii?
Vesuvius volcano, at about 14 km from Pompeii and Herculaneum, erupted in late summer in 79 AD. The eruption lasted only two days, but long enough to end the lives of more than 1,500 people and wipe important cities off the map.
In the first hours, the eruption was not considered dangerous, so many people did not leave the city. At that time, together with Herculaneum, Pompeii had a population of about 20,000 people. Many of them, however, managed to leave the area and escape with their lives. After a few hours, the cloud of ash and toxic gases began to become more and more dense, slowly covering the city and preventing any attempt to escape.
Initially, the 1,500 people found by archaeologists were believed to have died from inhaling toxic gas. Subsequently, it turned out to be a wrong theory, the real cause of death being the heat emitted by the lava of the volcano, which would have made the atmosphere of the place reach temperatures of 300 degrees C.
The history of the ancient city of Pompeii and what we can see at the archaeological site:
It is one of the few cities of that time that was built of stone and not wood, as usual. There were impressive theatres, bars and villas here.
The soil of the area where the city was located was quite fertile, making it ideal for agriculture. The fact that it was quite close to the sea helped the trade. These two advantages made Pompeii one of the most prosperous cities of the time.
The streets of the city were built in such a way that the rainwater and the dirt of the city flowed through, and the sidewalk was built higher so that the inhabitants could walk without getting dirty. In some places, there are stones that help to cross the street.
Pompeii was known as the city that exported olive oil and wine, also representing the vacation spot for the Romanian aristocracy. Many of these aristocrats have chosen to move here, and the "Fortuna Augusta" and "Eumachia" temples are just two of the buildings that attest to this.
The volcanic ash preserved the city extremely well, in some places being visible even the paintings on the walls and the mosaic details on the floor. An example can be found in the photo below, which is not the only place of its kind in Pompeii.
The city's amphitheatre, built about 150 years before the Colosseum in Rome, was used by the population to admire gladiatorial fights, which were very popular at the time. Entertainment was an important thing in the culture of the inhabitants, so the need to build such a place, which had a capacity of 20,000 seats, came naturally.
The villas of the aristocrats of the time were most often decorated with paintings and sculptures, they had vast gardens of fruit trees and panoramic views over the city. They had elaborate architecture, especially for those times, and frescoes and mosaics were plentiful. The one in the image below can be visited near the city amphitheater. Unfortunately, it is not 100% authentic, in some places it has been redone so that there is no risk of it collapsing. Even so, it is just as impressive.
During the excavations, air cavities were discovered in the volcanic ash, which were formed following the decomposition of the volcano's victims bodies. One of the archaeologists came up with the idea of making molds by pouring plaster into these cavities. One of the places where you can see these molds is the Garden of the Fugitives. In this place were discovered the remains of 3 harnessed horses and fleeing people heading towards the Nocera gate, one of the exits of the city.
WHAT OTHER LOCATIONS YOU CAN VISIT IN THE AREA: During the vacation in which I visited this place, I also visited the city of Naples, the Amalfi Coast and the Island of Capri. In the area you can also visit: - Herculaneum archaeological site, which is the same, if not even more spectacular than Pompeii; - the Vesuvius volcano, where you can go hiking or walking; - Ischia Island, one of the hidden treasures of Italy and the lesser known sister of the Island of Capri; - Procida Island, one of the most colorful islands; - Vale dell' Orso, which is a water park; - The sunken Roman city of Baia, the ideal place for diving, or even snorkeling; - Torre del Greco, a charming town located at the foot of Vesuvius.
WHERE TO STAY IN POMPEII:
Of the options available on Booking, the ones that caught my attention and are not very expensive either, I have left them below:
Sweet Country Home - Casa LuMePa - accommodation unit with double rooms, kitchen and free parking. It has a garden, and the internet is included in the price of the reservation;
Domus Annae B&B - accommodation unit that has both double rooms and apartments that can accommodate up to 4 people. It is located approximately 700 meters from the Archaeological Site of Pompeii. The rooms have a balcony or terrace, and the location accepts pets;
Villa Julia - accommodation unit with double, triple or even quadruple rooms. Some rooms can accommodate up to 6 people. It has a terrace and, on request, room service. Parking is included in the price of the reservation;
Casa Pacifico Pompei - accommodation unit with double, triple or suite rooms. It has a parking lot, a terrace, and a transfer to the airport is available on request;
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE CITY BURIED ALIVE OF POMPEII: The buried city of Pompeii is one of the greatest treasures discovered by archaeologists and worth visiting, even if you are not passionate about history. Between us, if you are not passionate about history, after visiting this place you will be. There are very few chances that a location with such a story will leave you "cold".
Although the existence of ancient Pompeii, so well preserved, is due to a collective tragedy, in which thousands of people and animals lost their lives, I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to visit such a place.
As I mentioned above, I recommend that you also take a guide, either audio or a tourist guide, from which you can find out certain information and details related to each place you see inside the site, I am convinced that this will it makes the experience much more pleasant.
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Get inspired for your next trips by reading about other locations in Europe: Andalusia, Boat tour in Mallorca, Veliko Tarnovo, Faro, Portugal or Frankfurt, Germany.
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