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Nearly 2000 years ago, the ancient Roman town of Pompeii was an important trading and commercial centre and home to nearly 20,000 people. The fertile countryside was dotted with farmlands and forests, and the beautiful coastlines were home to the lavish estates of the Roman elite.
Yet life for the inhabitants changed dramatically on the 24 August 79 AD when Mt. Vesuvius suddenly awoke with explosive fury. Its massive eruption buried the town under volcanic ash and pumice stone, and life in Pompeii was frozen in time.
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Today Pompeii is Italy’s most famous archaeological site, and with good reason. Careful excavations over the past two centuries have uncovered the Roman town, artistic finds and everyday objects, such as tools, jewellery, decorations and furnishings, and even food and drink. These finds allow us to piece together what life was like in Pompeii just before the disaster took place, from the wealthy classes down to gladiators and slaves. No other ancient town has been preserved so completely.
Stepping onto the well-worn stones of Pompeii, the town comes to life around you. The traveller Henry Matthews wrote in 1820:
“Nothing is wanting but the inhabitants. Still, a morning’s walk through the solemn silent streets of Pompeii, will give you a livelier idea of their modes of life, than all the books in the world.”
This is precisely what makes Pompeii so unique and such a memorable place to visit. Walking through Porta Marina, the main entrance gate, it is possible to imagine the thriving and bustling Pompeii town centre of 2000 years ago. Streets filled with carts and carriages clattering up and down the busy Via Marina as they headed down to the harbour which before the eruption of 79 AD was much closer to the city than it is today.
Following Via della Marina into the city, you’ll soon enter the Forum, the town's political, religious and commercial centre. Here crowds of people went about their daily business at the Macellum, the town’s primary market, talked about city affairs outside the Basilica, or law courts, or visited one of the large temples dedicated to Apollo, Jupiter and Vespasian. Daily life centred around the forum, much as it does in the central piazzas across Italian towns today. Look up and see the perfectly framed view of Mt. Vesuvius, a reminder of the town's fate.
Continuing down the Via dell’Abbondanza, you can explore the main commercial street originally lined with private homes and small shops selling all kinds of goods. Visit the bakery run by a Roman named Sotericus, or a laundry arranged like many shops were with the owner’s apartments on the upper level. Be sure to explore inside the well-preserved villas, such as the House of the Vettii and the House of the Faun, as well as visiting the Amphitheatre, one of the oldest of its kind existence.
In a strange twist of fate, the destruction of Pompeii by Mt. Vesuvius actually preserved it in time. Set against the blue sky and green slopes of the volcano, these remains of this once thriving town, makes it one of the most evocative archaeological sites in Italy.
How to Get There:
Pompeii is an easy day trip from Naples, Sorrento, Salerno or the Amalfi Coast. The ruins are located southeast of Naples, and can be reached easily by public transportation.
By Car: Travelling by car from Naples or Salerno, take the A3 Autostrada from Naples and look for the “Pompei Ovest” exit. Follow the signs marked “Pompeii Scavi” to the entrance where you will find car parks clearly marked.
By Rail: Pompeii is easily reached on the Circumvesuviana railway line that runs about every half hour throughout the day. From Naples, trains depart from the Stazione Circumvesuviana near Piazza Garibaldi and the trip to Pompeii takes about 45 minutes. Be sure to get on the Sorrento line and exit at the “Pompeii-Scavi-Villa dei Misteri” station, which is conveniently located about two blocks from the main entrance. (The “Pompei” station on the Poggiomarino line will take you to the centre of modern Pompeii.) From Sorrento the trip takes approximately 30 minutes.
By Bus: SITA runs half-hourly buses to and from Naples and CSTP runs regular buses to and from Salerno.
Written by Laura Thayer
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