My first visit to Pompeii was some twenty years ago, during the excursion to Roma, Napoli, Pompeii and Sorrento, so it was without a doubt that I will guide my boys to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Forum of Pompeii The Civil Forum was the main center of daily life of the city with all of the main public buildings for the city’s administration as well as shops and places of worshipIgor Mitoraj, Centauro, 1994
Visited by almost 2.5 million visitors yearly, Pompeii are one of the most preserved archaeological locations thanks to the catastrophic event that occurred in 79 AD.
The Marina gate and entrance to the western part of the city
According to some recent studies, the day of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius was 24 & 25 October 79 AD.
On the artificial terrace with magnificent views of the Gulf of Napoli and Mount Vesuvius, The Sanctuary of Venus is located. The temple dedicated to the patron of Pompeii was destroyed in the 62 AD, an never rebuilt again
Since the approximate distance between the volcano and the town is some 8 km no wonder the entire town was lost in the two-day eruption.
The 1500 square meters Basilica was the most splendid building of the Forum with the main purpose to carry out different business and administration of justiceBasilica Pompeiana
The many excavations of the site revealed that Pompeii was truly a rich town with around 11 000 inhabitants.
The ruins of the public houses and preserved frescoes tells us that some of these people lived wealthy and luxurious lives.
These stepping stones on the streets were implemented to keep pedestrians’ feet dry from rainwater, and clean from the filth, debris, and animal waste that accumulated in the streets
Looking back now at our visit to Pompeii, I wish we have taken one of the many tour guides that are available for shorter or longer guiding of the complex. Basically, you can make a deal with the professional independent tour guides on the site, as the location does not have their own guides.
But an hour ride with metro and the regional Circumvesuviana train from Napoli to Pompeii and back, with an active, hardly cooperative one and a half year old, did not inspire me for more than an stroll around the site.
The detailed train schedule that is not coherent to the actual trains stations, but for the visit to the ruins, one should exit the Pompeii scavi station, or where everybody else does 🙂
Along the way
It is, or it was what it was. Some other time, hopefully. Until than, here’s a solid selection of the most successful photos taken during our random stroll through the Pompeii archaeological site.
The large courtyard when entering from the Via dell’Abbondanza street, with colonnade leads to the Thermal Stabian baths, one of the oldest in the Roman world
The baths were separated to the female and men’s quarters split into apodyterium (dressing room), with frigidarium (cold baths), from where one would go to the tepidarium (medium temperature baths) and then to the calidarium (hot baths)
The piping system in the walls and double floors that circulated the hot air guaranteed the warm air and water
Ceiling detail in the Vestibule of the Terme StabianeOne of the most notable houses on the site is the House of MenanderBrought back to light between 1926 and 1932, the House of Menander is named after the portrait of the Greek dramatist Menander found on one of the walls of the house
With a surface of 1830 square meters, it’s one of the richest houses in the area. It’s presumed that its owner must have been an aristocrat involved in politics as no ordinary people would be able to have baths in their homesThe atrium has frescoes with scenes from the Iliad and the OdysseyThe peristyle is rhodium-shaped, with the north side higherThe stablesAt the very end of the site lies the oldest amphitheatre among those known from the Roman timesBuilt in 70 BC, it could hold up to 20 000 spectators not only from Pompeii but also from neighboring townsExternal staircases with two flights of stairs give the access to the upper steps and a downward corridor provides access to the lower steps
Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii was a 1972 concert film featuring the English rock group Pink Floyd performing at the amphitheatre in Pompeii. The band performed a typical live set from the era, but there was no audience beyond the basic film crewThe Triangular Forum
The auditorium of the Amphitheatre was built on the natural slope of the hill
The staircase was separated into three areas with corridors, divided into five sectors
Temple of Isis
The thermopolium, or fast food restaurant, because poor Roman families couldn’t afford to have kitchens in their homes
These fast food vendors would be serving honey-roasted rodents raised in jars
Experts believe prepared food would have been displayed in large dolia jars set in holes carved in the stone counter, similar to today’s take-out restaurants
Just as a reminder, found in the public toilet at the site 🙂
