Rome is a city with many monuments to visit. Whatever the duration of your trip, you will never be able to see everything in Rome. However, it is also a good idea to go out from the capital to visit other must-sees including Pompeii. Pompeii can very well be visited in one days starting from Rome early and returning at night to the eternal city.
So if you are more than 3 days in Rome do not hesitate to "sacrifice" one of your days to visit the ancient city of Pompeii, because it is something you'll never see elsewhere.
The ruins of Pompeii are one of the most important archeological sites in the world because of their size and because the excavations are not still finished. Indeed, there are still 21 hectar unexplored in Pompeii. At the same time, 3 million of curious people visit the site each year.
History :
The city of Pompeii was founded more than 2,600 years ago on fertile land, along a major trade route in Campania, a flourishing region under the Roman Empire at the apogee of its power.
During the night between the 24 and the 25 October, year 79, an eruption of the Vesuvius buried five cities around Naples: Herculaneum, Oplontis, Boscoreale, Stabies and Pompeii. The eruption was of such intensity that it is said an almost 20kms' column could have risen above the crater in just a few minutes of time ! During 18 hours, rains of ashes and pumices stones buried the volcano's surroundings, over a radius of 70km, under 5 to 6 meters of volcanic sediments.
Most citizens have had time to escape (from Earth, those who tried to escape by the sea were killed by a tidal wave caused by the eruption of the Vesuvius). Cities and citizens who had not had time to escape (more than 3,000 people) were burned by fiery clouds with a temperature above 300 ° C and suffocated by the toxic gas emanations that emanated of pumice stones. Thus they remain fixed in their last gestures. The cities affected by this tragedy were then forgotten for more than 1500 years.
It was in the 17th century that Pompeii was rediscovered in a miraculous state of preservation. Excavations began as a result of a canal construction project before realizing the archaeological treasure that there was. The volcanic sediments that covered the city had not been eroded by weather and time, leaving the city as it was at the time of eruption.
It was the archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli (1823-1896) who was the first man to organize research and make plaster of skeletons. The excavations made known an ancient flourishing city and an incredible testimony of the civilization of the Ancient Rome.
It was the writings of Pliny the Younger, a famous Roman writer, that allowed archaeologists and historians to better understand the eruption of the Vesuvius that day. Indeed, between the year 62 and the year 70, many earthquakes of a significant magnitude had already shaken the cities around Vesuvius and did considerable damages to Naples. In 79, the city of Pompeii was still under reconstruction after the earthquake of 62. It had caused significant damages, killed residents and scared away many others. However, Vesuvius was at that time considered extinct because the last known eruption dated from the year 217 BC.
Since 1997, the archaeological site of Pompeii, as well as that of Herculaneum, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Visit Pompeii :
At the entrance to the archaeological site, plans are made available. On the back of these, 3 options of circuits are offered to you according to the time you are willing to pass in Pompeii: a whole day allows of even the whole of the site, a half a day is ideal to see the most important parts of the city and in 2 hours you can quickly see some ruins.
By visiting the site, you will be pleasantly surprised by the state of conservation of the buildings and the incredible conservation of corpses. Pompeii is an open-air museum where you can imagine the daily, social and political life of the population of the city in the first century in a flourishing city with 25,000 inhabitants with many traders and artisans.
Not to miss :
The forum: the forum was the heart of the city where were standing both religious and administrative buildings. This central square, was the only place in the city where carts were forbidden. You can see the remains of some buildings, including many columns. There is also a view of Vesuvius, recalling the tragedy that occurred here ...
It is near the forum that are exposed the statues of the corpses of the people who died during the eruption of 79. These statues were made thanks to plaster molds made from petrified bodies, an idea of Giuseppe Fiorelli to keep scars of the history of the city.
The baths of the forum: you can still observe the different rooms of these public baths such as the cloakroom, cold baths, baths and hot baths.
The house of fauna: this house was the largest in Pompeii - 2,970 square meters! It takes its name from the small statue in the front yard. The mosaic in the back court is still in very good condition.
The temple of Apollo: this temple is the oldest building of the forum (550 BC). It was reworked several times by the Greeks then the Romans. You can still admire the copies of the statues of Apollo and Diana, but the originals are in the Naples Museum.
The amphitheater: this huge rectangular amphitheater dates from the time of the Emperor Augustus. It had in its center a swimming pool. It was a space dedicated to shows, including gladiators. It could accommodate 20,000 people!
The big theater: this theater from the 2nd century BC could accommodate up to 5,000 people. It has Greek architecture with tiered horseshoe steps.
The small theater (or Odeon): it is located right next to the big theater. This indoor theater was intended for musical and poetry performances.
The Villa dei Misteri: some houses in Pompeii still have beautiful decorations (paintings, mosaics ...). This is particularly the case of the Villa dei Misteri, or the Casa dei Vettii.
Lupanar: Lupanar was the most important brothel in Pompeii. You can still see frescoes and stone beds.
Bars: At the time when Pompeii was a flourishing city, the city also had bars. You can visit the remains where amphoras are still present.
The casts: during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79, about 3,000 people died. Centuries later, after the rediscovery of Pompeii, the decomposed bodies of the inhabitants and animals have been covered with liquid plaster to reconstitute their shape and make it last in time. Nevertheless, these casts are gouped in a hall near the forum, and not scattered pretty much everywhere on the archaeological site as they were initially found. So people who do not want to see the casts can perfectly avoid them.
Tips:
Remember to buy a fast-track ticket!
Think about taking a bottle of water. However it is useless to take several liters of water because fountains of drinking water are available at many places of the archaeological site (it is often the case in Italy)
.For parents with strollers or disabled people, the easiest access is to Piazza Anfiteatro, from which a visitor itinerary has been designed for people with reduced mobility.
Access:
There are three ways to reach Pompeii: car, train or bus.
By car:
Pompeii is located southeast of Naples. More exactly 26 km by freeway A3, direction Salerno, until the exit "Pompei ovest".
By train:
From Naples Central Station you can take the Circumvesuviana train and stop at the Pompei Scavi (Villa dei Misteri) station. The journey takes about 45 minutes and costs less than 6€ for a round trip. The train leaves from Naples every 25 minutes. Once at the Pompei railway station the entrance is 800m away.
Warning: When you go out of the train many people will offer to buy tickets at the "point of information". However, this is not the official box office that is located after the real entrance to Pompeii!
By bus:
From the port of Naples you can also reach the archaeological site of Pompeii by the SITA bus. There are 1 or 2 buses per hour and the price is the same as for the train.
Practical informations:
Prices:
There are tickets to visit only Pompeii or packages for several sites:
Pompeii only (valid for 1 day): 15€, reduced price to 9€ and free for students in arts and architecture.
2 sites: Oplontis and Boscoreale (valid for 1 day): 7€, reduced price 4€ and free for students in arts and architecture.
3 sites (valid for 3 consecutive days and only 1 visit per site): 18€, reduced price to 10€ and free for students in arts and architecture.
Like many museums in Italy, admission to Pompeii is free on the first Sunday of every month. Read my article about free museums in Rome the first Sunday of each month.
Hours:
From April 1st to October 31st: from 9 am to 7:30 pm (last entry at 6 pm)
From November 1st to March 31st: from 9 am to 5 pm (last admission at 3:30 pm)
Closing days: January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.
To discover in the Pompeii area:
Herculaneum: Herculaneum is one of the four other cities that were buried under the ashes after the eruption of Vesuvius in 79. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Vesuvius: the Vesuvius volcano rises to 1280m high. It is one of the few volcanoes in Europe still active, but dormant, with Etna (Sicily) and Stromboli (Aeolian Islands). The last eruption of Vesuvius dates back to 1944, however there are still about 700 earthquakes per year.
Vesuvius is particularly dangerous because it is an explosive volcano located near the population. It is therefore constantly monitored.
You can reach the crater of Vesuvius during a hike. A bus will take you to a car park from which you can start the climb on foot for about half an hour. Once at the top of the volcano you can admire a beautiful view of the Bay of Naples.
Naples: capital of Campania, Naples is on the Amalfi side. It is also the city where you will eat the best Pizza of the World! Especially in the traditional and famous pizzeria "Da Michele". During your stay, do not hesitate to visit the royal palace, the castle, the opera, the basilica San Francesco ...
The Amalfi Coast: the Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful landscapes of Italy: steep cliffs, blue sea, little pretty villages ... It is also very pleasant to take the winding road that connects Salerno to Naples especially for motorcycle lovers !
Photo gallery:
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