ITALY, July 17, 2011
ITALY, Sunday, July 17, 2011
Our bus was taking off early today due to the fact that we had a 4-hour bus trip ahead of us, from Assisi to Pompeii, and then to Sorrento.
We arrived at Pompeii at about 12:30 and had a decent lunch outside close to the entrance of the site, consisting of pizza margherita, a green salad, and some straciatella ice cream for dessert. Then our guide, Fabio, took us away to one of the world’s best archaeological sites, Pompeii, for a guided tour of the ruins.
Pompeii was one of Campania’s most important commercial centers—a moneyed resort for wealthy patricians and a trading town that exported wine and fish. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius froze the town’s way of life as it stood at the time; indeed, the excavations have probably yielded more info concerning the daily life of Roman citizens during the imperial era than anywhere else—social conventions, class structure, domestic arrangements, and standard of living. Some of the buildings are even covered with ancient graffiti referring to contemporary political events and to romantic entanglements. The full horrow of the event is made clear by the shape of their bodies left in the volcanic ash, with faces tortured in agony or shielding themselves from dust and ashes.
The eruption took place in 79 A.D. Vesuvius had been spouting smoke and ash for several days before the eruption on August 24. Fortunately, most of Pompeii had already been evacuated when disaster struck. Out of a population of 20,000, it was thought that 2,000 died, asphyxiated by the toxic fumes of the volcanic debris, their homes buried in several meters of volcanic ash and pumice. Pliny, the Roman naturalist, was one of the casualties. His nephew, Pliny the Younger, described the full horror of the scene in two letters to the historian Tacitus, who was compiling a history of the disaster.
Ruins of theaters, villas, temples, and baths have been excavated. Pompeii is located near the Bay of Naples, known for its expansive views of the area’s islands, capes and nearby Vesuvius.
The first parts of ancient Pompeii were discovered in 1600, but it was not until 1748 that excavations began, continuing more or less without interruption until the present day. Discoveries are still being made.
Entering the site from the Pompeii-Villa dei Misteri side, through the Porta Martinia, the Forum is the first real feature of significance. It is a long, slim, open space surrounded by the ruins of what would have been some of the town’s most important buildings—a basilica, temples to Apollo and Jupiter, and a market hall. North from here, up the Via di Mercurio, takes you towards some of the town’s most luxurious homes. The “Casa dei Poetica Tragico” is named for its mosaics welcoming visitors with the word “Ave.” A street behind is the “Casa dei Vettii,” one of the most delightful houses in Pompeii and one of the best maintained. Excavations begun in 1911 are on the other side of the site: the Grand Theatre and the Little Theatre. Other objects of interest on the grand thoroughfare called the Via dell’ Abbondanza included a laundry, other villas, an amphitheatre, a bakery, and other grander and more mundane structures of the site.
It was sobering to see the ruins of the site in the beautiful light of the afternoon, and then view the looming presence of Mount Vesuvius in the background.
After the tour, we were invited to watch a master work on a cameo, one of the specialties of this area, and then we had a quick saunter through the showrooms , with a look at some of the fine jewelry exhibited there. Then we boarded the bus at 5:00 and were on our way to Sorrento. Topping the rocky cliffs close to the end of its peninsula, and 25 km S of Pompeii, it is the last town of significance on this side of the bay. It is a resort, and its location and mild climate have drawn foreigners here for a long time—Ibsen, Wagner, Nietzsche, and Gorky. It is a bright, lively place that retains its southern Italian roots.
Out hotel is the Michelangelo. The structure has been developed around an ancient tower dating back to the 7th c. It is centrally located here in Sorrento. After reaching our room, which has a balcony and looks out on the little local train station that sends trains all along the Bay of Naples, we dressed for dinner, which included a vegetable soup, beef with boiled potatoes and red peppers; and lemon meringue pie for dessert. Afterwards, Nancy and I participated in the Sunday evening “passegiata,” which involves everyone strolling along and is a perfect chance to see and be seen. Stores were open everywhere, and there was a crowd listening to an outdoor theatre group singing and dancing. And now we are ready to hit the sack, as we are tired after a long, full day! Arrivederci!
Our bus was taking off early today due to the fact that we had a 4-hour bus trip ahead of us, from Assisi to Pompeii, and then to Sorrento.
We arrived at Pompeii at about 12:30 and had a decent lunch outside close to the entrance of the site, consisting of pizza margherita, a green salad, and some straciatella ice cream for dessert. Then our guide, Fabio, took us away to one of the world’s best archaeological sites, Pompeii, for a guided tour of the ruins.
Pompeii was one of Campania’s most important commercial centers—a moneyed resort for wealthy patricians and a trading town that exported wine and fish. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius froze the town’s way of life as it stood at the time; indeed, the excavations have probably yielded more info concerning the daily life of Roman citizens during the imperial era than anywhere else—social conventions, class structure, domestic arrangements, and standard of living. Some of the buildings are even covered with ancient graffiti referring to contemporary political events and to romantic entanglements. The full horrow of the event is made clear by the shape of their bodies left in the volcanic ash, with faces tortured in agony or shielding themselves from dust and ashes.
The eruption took place in 79 A.D. Vesuvius had been spouting smoke and ash for several days before the eruption on August 24. Fortunately, most of Pompeii had already been evacuated when disaster struck. Out of a population of 20,000, it was thought that 2,000 died, asphyxiated by the toxic fumes of the volcanic debris, their homes buried in several meters of volcanic ash and pumice. Pliny, the Roman naturalist, was one of the casualties. His nephew, Pliny the Younger, described the full horror of the scene in two letters to the historian Tacitus, who was compiling a history of the disaster.
Ruins of theaters, villas, temples, and baths have been excavated. Pompeii is located near the Bay of Naples, known for its expansive views of the area’s islands, capes and nearby Vesuvius.
The first parts of ancient Pompeii were discovered in 1600, but it was not until 1748 that excavations began, continuing more or less without interruption until the present day. Discoveries are still being made.
Entering the site from the Pompeii-Villa dei Misteri side, through the Porta Martinia, the Forum is the first real feature of significance. It is a long, slim, open space surrounded by the ruins of what would have been some of the town’s most important buildings—a basilica, temples to Apollo and Jupiter, and a market hall. North from here, up the Via di Mercurio, takes you towards some of the town’s most luxurious homes. The “Casa dei Poetica Tragico” is named for its mosaics welcoming visitors with the word “Ave.” A street behind is the “Casa dei Vettii,” one of the most delightful houses in Pompeii and one of the best maintained. Excavations begun in 1911 are on the other side of the site: the Grand Theatre and the Little Theatre. Other objects of interest on the grand thoroughfare called the Via dell’ Abbondanza included a laundry, other villas, an amphitheatre, a bakery, and other grander and more mundane structures of the site.
It was sobering to see the ruins of the site in the beautiful light of the afternoon, and then view the looming presence of Mount Vesuvius in the background.
After the tour, we were invited to watch a master work on a cameo, one of the specialties of this area, and then we had a quick saunter through the showrooms , with a look at some of the fine jewelry exhibited there. Then we boarded the bus at 5:00 and were on our way to Sorrento. Topping the rocky cliffs close to the end of its peninsula, and 25 km S of Pompeii, it is the last town of significance on this side of the bay. It is a resort, and its location and mild climate have drawn foreigners here for a long time—Ibsen, Wagner, Nietzsche, and Gorky. It is a bright, lively place that retains its southern Italian roots.
Out hotel is the Michelangelo. The structure has been developed around an ancient tower dating back to the 7th c. It is centrally located here in Sorrento. After reaching our room, which has a balcony and looks out on the little local train station that sends trains all along the Bay of Naples, we dressed for dinner, which included a vegetable soup, beef with boiled potatoes and red peppers; and lemon meringue pie for dessert. Afterwards, Nancy and I participated in the Sunday evening “passegiata,” which involves everyone strolling along and is a perfect chance to see and be seen. Stores were open everywhere, and there was a crowd listening to an outdoor theatre group singing and dancing. And now we are ready to hit the sack, as we are tired after a long, full day! Arrivederci!
This is the day I am absolutely most jealous about! I've never been to Pompeii and I think it would be so amazing to see the excavated ruins! Absolutely can not wait to see these photos
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