Imagine Pompeii before the blast

Mount Vesuvius watches over the city of Pompeii.

Some sites must be experienced in person to really grasp their size and importance. The archaeological park of Pompeii is one such place. Getting to Pompeii is fairly easy from our base in Salerno, Italy. We take a local train and disembark in the small city. Easy so far, right?

View of Pompeii from the Tower of Mercury

 
Upon exiting the train station, we're directed to a visitor's center, where we receive a fast-talking sales pitch from someone who obviously is working on commission. We already bought our tickets online, so I'm suspicious of the hard sell: All visitors must each rent their own audio guide — no sharing! — and if you want a map, you'll have to buy this book for 17 euros. Ah ha! This is a private sales office and definitely not affiliated with Pompeii Archeological Park. We make a hasty exit and head on foot toward the park entrance.

Unfortunately, we overshoot the entrance, and walk about a mile out of way. Oh well! We stop at a coffee shop for a cappuccino & cornetto before setting off again. Thus fortified, we find the the right entrance, pick up a free map, and enter Pompeii.

Temple of Apollo in Pompeii

I usually do my homework before sightseeing. This time, though, I'm woefully unprepared for the enormity of Pompeii. We probably should have joined an official tour, as we would have better understood the intricacies of this vast site. However, even muddling through on our own, we have an amazing day there and are thoroughly awed by Pompeii. 

View of Pompeii from the Tower of Mercury

The park is divided into six regions filled with ruins of villas, shops, restaurants, theaters, schools, and churches. The park's signage is good, and friendly docents scattered about are happy to explain what we're looking at. 

An ancient Roman mural in a Pompeii restaurant

The city of Pompei and the surrounding area had an estimated population of around 20,000 when Mount Vesuvius erupted in the year 79. Most of its citizens survived the volcano's devastation, but Pompeii, Herculaneum, Torre Annunziata, and other towns were reduced to rubble and buried under ash. 

The garden of the House of Marco Lucrezio in Pompeii

The area was left undisturbed until the 1700s when the world was amazed as the sophisticated Greco-Roman city was unearthed. Astonishing discoveries of daily life were made, such as an oven with loaves of 600,000-day-old bread inside. Some preserved human remains were also found.

A public fountain in Pompeii

Today the area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and an active archaeological excavation site. 

Pompeii's amphitheatre

An excellent reference about Pompeii's history is located on the Britannica website here, and an awesome animated video from the Melbourne Museum entitled "A Day in Pompeii" can be found on YouTube or click here.