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Pompeii's history reads like a Greek tragedy. Settlers originally flocked to the site of the Roman port city because of its fertile soil—the product of volcanic ash from nearby Mount Vesuvius. Yet that very same volcano would erupt and doom the city of 10,000 to 20,000 inhabitants in A.D. 79.
Many Europeans toured the city's ancient ruins in the decades following their initial excavations in 1748. Indeed, Pompeii became all the rage across the continent, inspiring a gaudy revival in Classical art and architecture.
But for archaeologists and present-day visitors, the real thrill of Pompeii is that the most mundane aspects of ancient Roman life have been preserved for centuries beneath fine-grained volcanic ash. Graffiti still covers walls; some of the excavated bakeries had bread loaves in their ovens. (The National Archaeological Museum in nearby Naples displays many of the most important finds.) Visitors to the city can tour homes such as the House of the Vettii—a residence of wealthy merchants, with walls adorned with frescoes depicting scenes from classical mythology.
Among the most moving sights is the Garden of the Fugitives, which displays plaster casts of some of the victims in their final moments of life. "It adds an extra dimension to Pompeii," observes Rick Jones, an archaeologist at the University of Bradford in England, who has conducted research at the site since 1994. "It creates a sense of intimacy, a connection to the people who lived there."
I agree! Pompei is a MUST, along with the Amalfi drive, of course!
Posted by Shirley Honore' on January 24,2008 | 10:21AM
My family and I were terribly disappointed with our recent visit to Pompeii. We went last month. About half the residences were closed for renovation, although no activity other than cutting the grass was observed. The map and audio-guides provided did not match each other, the 'public' bathroom attendant demanded (yelling at us(!)) payment, and Naples was covered in trash, making a visit to the archaeological museum something not even remotely considered an option.
Posted by christy kehn-lewis on March 11,2008 | 04:15PM
Walking in actual chariot ruts and seeing the places where the people of Pompei lived and to see and touch things made so long ago brought the past alive for me. What surprised me most was the plaster casts of the people. They were so small, so very small-- yet so animate, so real. You could imagine what life was like so long ago. ---- This is the real thing.
Posted by Joann Tilton on March 11,2008 | 05:37PM
I visited Pompeii with my family June 2008. We went on a 3 hour tour of Pompeii that ended to be about 1:45 minutes in Pompeii. My lesson is book a smaller tour, 40 people is too many to move anywhere fast down the narrow streets. We went to the Naples Archaeological Museum in Naples first on our own which has a model of Pompeii along with artifacts that we enjoyed seeing up close. Well worth the stop in Naples.
Posted by Gail Wells on July 2,2008 | 01:38PM
I cannot seem to find any references to the caves where many of the people went, only to be trapped in them. Any leads ? For a while it was assumed that of the 25,000 people ?, only 1000 were found, and then many more in these caves. Thanks Doug
Posted by doug seiler on August 9,2008 | 09:01AM