Pompeii

Sunday, October 19, 2008
Pompeii, Italy

Mt. Vesuvius...I could barely make it out most of the day through the clouds.

Well my one and only reason for coming to Naples was to visit the ancient ruins of Pompeii. This was just a quick 35 minute train ride from Naples. I found my way to the train station (different than the one I had arrived at) bought my ticket and hopped aboard with everyone else who was heading to the site. I was a little worried as I was not sure what the crowds would be like on a Sunday but as that was where my visit fell in my schedule it was going to have to do. Turns out it was not too bad and the place is so big so it is easy to get away from the bus tours.

The train I took. So much more like the subways I am use to. Note the beautiful art work. It's like an art museum on rails.

Upon arrival in Pompeii I bought myself an audio tour and it was a good thing too. I would have been looking at a whole lot of nothing without it. Funny thing is that they give you a map with street names (archaeologists have given the streets names over the years and number the buildings on each street as part of an improved system of keeping track of the excavations) however the names of the streets are not always displayed as you walk around (kind of like Rome) so often I was just walking around......but hey I did it in Rome so why not Pompeii.

This is located in the Basilica. We would now know a Basilica as a church however in the past it was just a very important area. In particular it was used for judiciary purposes. The stage is where the judges would have sat. They sat on a raised stage because they needed to seem so much more important than everyone else but it also served to protect the judges. It is believed to be aged from 120 BC (Pre-Roman times).

This is the Arch of Caligola. It is along the road that leads from the Forum.

One of the passageways that leads between buildings.

The first interesting fact I learned was that some of the damage to buildings that is seen was not caused by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius or the years since then, but in fact by an earthquake that occurred 17 years before the eruption. They say the city was in a state of great reconstruction that was not moving along very quickly due to the amount of damage the earthquake caused. Of course leading up to the day of the eruption there had been several earthquakes that would have also caused their share of damage.

The steps in the centre are a Pompeii crosswalk. This trench would often be flooded with water so the steps were placed so that people could walk across and keep their feet dry.

This is the ceiling in the calidarium (hot baths). You will find it at the Forum Baths which sit at the corner of Via del Foro and Via di Nola (just in case you happen to be walking down the streets of Pompeii anytime soon). They were excavated in 1823 and there is still a lot of restoration work being done.

This is the garden at the House of Loreius Tibertinus, a priest of the goddess Isis (an ancient egyptian goddess). It is believed that this priest would have been the owner of the house. They have spent a lot of time reproducing the garden to look like it would have before the eruption.

Next interesting fact was that it was not the initial eruptions that killed those living in Pompeii and there were in fact some who escaped. Many people had taken shelter in their homes after the first eruption on August 24, 79 AD but after the second eruption on the morning of August 25, many were buried in their homes as their roofs caved in or in the streets as they attempted to escape the city. Of course many were covered too quickly by the ash and after the natural decay of the bodies, archaeologists were able to make plaster casts of some of the victims. I guess they really did have some warning but were just were not aware of the danger at all. By the time the danger did become apparent to them it was too late.

A couple of the plaster casts of actual victims you will find throughout Pompeii. You really can see this man's facial expression.

This guy seems very aware of what is happening. He seemed to just sit down and wait to die. Some people say he is sucking his thumb...he appears to be praying to me.

It is really cool how after all these years you can still see the city planning, the roads, the stores, the writing on the walls. I did expect to see a lot more of the human casts, and in the original places where they were found. Not so much the case but certainly weird to see the casts that were there. Really makes you think what was going through their heads at that time.

These plaster casts can be found in the Garden of the Fugitives. In 1961, 13 victims were found in an orchard. They included adults, young people and children.

I have to say the audio tour had a lot of good detail….and was very necessary. You had to have some sort of guide or you would just be walking around looking at old buildings (and broken buildings at that)…..which I am sure some people would find interesting but to me the stories behind the buildings are what is most exciting.

This is the Fresco of Venus, which can be found in the House of Venus (imagine that). The atrium where this can be found was badly damaged from bombings during World War II but the fresco has survived.

Pompeii's cemeteries were always placed outside the walls of the city (known as a necropolis) and often along well travelled routes. This was common practice in cities during Pompeii's time period. Those in higher economic standing would buy plots of land and even begin building their tombs long before their death. It was all about showing off their wealth. Often they would have to hire someone to protect their plots from unauthorized entry…..or burial.

Looking at the necropolis from one of the outer walls of Pompeii.

A couple of the frescos you can find in Pompeii that have survived all these years. Each one tells a story although you would have to see the whole wall to see the whole story. So neat. The colour is still so vibrant.

Me hanging out with some of the ruins. I wish I could remember what road I was on and then I could tell you what temple or building the columns behind me belong to, but after a while, they all look the same.

Most interesting thing I learned was about the dry cleaners. Dry cleaners used urine (because it acts as ammonia) to help bleach fabric. This urine could be animal or human (which would be collected from public toilets or in jars out front of their shops). I know.....sweet!!

Of course this had to survive. It just wouldn't be Italy without it though.

Of course since many houses in Pompeii did not have a source of water, there were many public baths. Many of these were set up very similar to modern spas with pools and gyms and massages.

This is actually a political campaign message. It also has survived very well after all these years.

In all I spent almost 6 hours just walking the ruins listening to the stories that many of the houses have to share.....even after all these years. I actually had to pick up a written guide so I can remember a little bit more than just the few notes I was able to jot down in my journal.

Hanging out in someone's house. They weren't home.

Eventually I did leave the site and returned to Naples and my hotel. My new room was actually bigger than the first one I had and the bathroom was a serious upgrade. So much to soak in from the day and another journey to another city tomorrow.

Julie