Pompeii is an ancient Roman city located near Naples. I did it as a day trip by taking an early morning train out of Rome. Since it was a cloudy day, the weather was perfect for exploring the ruins. I had not brushed up my history lessons before visiting Pompeii. This place was recommended to me by a friend and all I remembered about Pompeii was the movie and a vague connection with Mount Vesuvius, which destroyed the city -
It is close to the Amalfi coast - many tourists finish the Pompeii tour and move on to Amalfi.
It is a good idea to take a guided tour, as they give detailed information about the place and one can truly appreciate the mystery and significance of the place. The entrance does not prepare you for the unexplored wonders that are waiting inside the gates.
In 79 AD, around 20,000 Pompeiians went about their daily lives without any thought to the volcano they lived alongside - August 24th would change their lives forever, as Mt. Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the entire city with Pompeii buried under 20 feet of ash. There are many stories to be found, which are being unearthed slowly but surely. There is one I found very interesting - "The Guy with the worst luck in all of Pompeii". Imagine the chaos of falling fire, ash, dense fumes, and smoke. The earth is shaking and buildings are falling everywhere. As hot lava is rushing towards you, you are trying your best to run as fast a possible and for a second, you feel that you are going to get out of this alive ! And suddenly, your head is cut off by a massive rock falling from the sky. The archaeologists found his skeletal remains protruding from under a large boulder 2,000 years after his demise. They were able to deduce that he was fleeing the city and that he had an infection in his shinbone, which impeded his mobility. His head has not been found !
The biggest problem in photographing Pompeii is avoiding the tourists (and their heads) in the snaps. As it happens in every historical place I visit, my mind is in a world of its own. I wonder how people used to go about their daily lives. Luckily, I have the guide throwing a lot of interesting info at me and I keep pestering her with questions.
The streets were made up of blocks of stone. In some places, big stones on the side of the street were kept for rich people to place their feet from their carriages, so that they do not step in the dirt/muck on the street - yet another example of the rich always worrying about the smallest of issues, which are a part and parcel of daily life of commoners !
The main street in Pompeii leads to the Forum (market area) where traders from all over the world used to buy/sell their products - international trade in its basic form. Absolutely different from the way I do international business for the companies I work with ! Under the Romans, Pompeii underwent a process of urban development - public buildings included the Forum, the Amphitheater (with a gym and swimming pool), two theaters, and at least four public baths.
The mountains form a stunning backdrop - midway during the tour, there was a loud explosion and all of us were wondering (half in jest, of course) if there was another volcanic eruption underway - as it turned out, it was a group of youngsters bursting firecrackers for Napoli's victory in Serie A !
There are many landmarks - House of the Faun (one of the largest and impressive private residences), Temple of Apollo (cult of Apollo imported from Greece), the Amphitheater (for gladiator fights and other events), Temple of Jupiter, House of Vetti and House of the Tragic Poet (famous for its mosaic), among others. It is a wonder how these buildings are still standing and in good condition !
The Romans wanted Pompeii to be a hub for trading and it had different entertainment options and facilities to keep the traders settle here for long periods of time. The Macellum was the great food market and you also had the Pistrinum (mill). Then, you had the Thermopolium - a fast food place that served hot and cold dishes and beverages. We had our guide behind the counter in one such place and placed mock orders - of course, pizza and wine was on top of the list !
We also had Tauponae - cafes or dives with a seedy reputation as hangouts for thieves and prostitutes. At least one building, the Lupanar was dedicated to prostitution. There are phallic drawings on the street acting as pointers to this place - the interiors has small booths or rooms with drawings of various activities on the ceiling. It was designed to help traders (who had language barriers, because they were from different parts of the world) to point and select the workout of their choice !
Entrance to a few streets were blocked by big stone blocks, making them "pedestrian friendly". A sign board to mark the place where carriages had to be parked and material from here had to be carried on foot, to the market place.
There were many private residences, which were lavish in their own right with gardens and water fountains. Mosaic floors were one of the ways in which the rich guys tried to outdo their competition and show off. An aqueduct provided water to the public baths, to more than 25 street fountains, and to many private houses and businesses. The aqueduct was a fed from a branch of the great Serino Aqueduct, built to serve the Bay of Naples region.
The Calidarium was a hot water bath in the Forum Baths, which were equipped with all the bathing facilities (hot and cold water on demand was just one of them) Pompeiians could desire. The community shit hole had no privacy !
Objects buried beneath Pompeii were well-preserved for almost 2,000 years due to lack of air and moisture. Two-thirds of the city has been excavated, but the remnants of the city are rapidly deteriorating now. Furthermore, during WWII, Many buildings were badly damaged or destroyed by bombs dropped in several raids by the Allied Forces.
The soil in the area was perfect for agriculture, due to its water retention facilities. Barley, Wheat and Millet were all produced along with Wines & Olive oil, which were the big draw of course ! There are a couple of places in the ruins where you can get a framed photograph for Mt. Vesuvius -
The famous Amphitheater (a short walk from the main square), which witnessed its fair share of gladiatorial fights and events. The design is a great example of acoustics and cited by scholars a model for sophistication for crowd control.
It was the last item on the agenda & after a while, I decided to call it a day and proceed towards the Amalfi coast. At the end of it all, I was awestruck - definitely, one of the best ruins I have visited & one I will remember for the rest of my life. A must visit on every Italian itinerary !
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