Pompeii

Pompeii is the most extraordinary archaeological site in Europe, a whole Roman city buried and preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 and dug from the ash. Walking its streets past shops, houses, temples, baths, a forum and an amphitheatre, with vivid frescoes and the haunting plaster casts of the dead, is to step directly into ancient daily life, a UNESCO wonder.

History

The Oscans founded five villages here in the 8th century BC, the name perhaps coming from their word for five, and with the Greeks arriving in Campania from about 740 BC the town built its Doric temple and in the early 6th century BC merged into one community behind a tufa wall; the Etruscans controlled it by 524 BC, and the Samnites followed. A severe earthquake struck on 5 February 62, and much rebuilding followed before the eruption of 79 buried the town of 10,000 to 20,000 people under 4 to 6 metres of ash and pumice. The Spanish engineer Roque Joaquín de Alcubierre began digging here in 1748, an inscription found on 20 August 1763 identified the city, and Giuseppe Fiorelli, in charge from 1863, devised the plaster casts made from the hollows left by the bodies of the victims. Pompeii became a World Heritage Site in 1997 (Wikipedia, Pompeii).

The main sights

• The streets and houses - the preserved Roman city with its shops and villas.
• The frescoes and mosaics - the vivid wall paintings in the grand houses.
• The plaster casts - the haunting forms of the eruption's victims.
• The forum and amphitheatre - the civic centre against the backdrop of Vesuvius.

When to go

Spring and autumn for mild weather, as the ruins are exposed and summer is punishingly hot with little shade. It is vast, so allow a good half day and wear sturdy shoes for the ancient cobbles.

Good to know

It is vast and exposed, so summer heat is brutal and a full visit tiring; a guide or audio guide brings it alive. Many houses are closed or under restoration at any time. It is very popular, so it is busy, especially the famous villas.

Nearby

Naples and its archaeological museum are nearby; Mount Vesuvius, Herculaneum and the Amalfi Coast are close.

Key facts