Pompeii can be found near the vibrant city of Naples, around 150 miles south of Rome. Most people visit the devastated city for a day trip and combine it with a visit to Mount Vesuvius, the area’s famous volcano that caused tragedy on the surrounding regions in 79 AD.
What is Pompeii?
Pompeii is – or more specifically was – a small, local town that sits snug on the picturesque Amalfi coast at the base of Mount Vesuvius. In 79 AD, the town and its neighbor, Herculaneum, were destroyed when the volcano erupted and covered them in a thick layer of ash and debris which has preserved many of the scenes from the day of the tragedy.
More than 2,000 people died during the eruption and visitors to the site today can witness the devastating scenes of residents trying to protect themselves from the monumental cloud of ash.
After the incident, both Pompeii and Herculaneum were left as abandoned settlements frozen in time until the 18th Century when explorers discovered the perfectly-preserved sites. The buildings remained fully intact and everyday objects covered the streets, offering a glimpse into daily life from 79 AD.
Today, the site remains much the same, except some of the buildings are slightly more ruined than they were. However, the town still provides an insight into Italian life thousands of years ago.
Exploring Pompeii
Throughout the town there are several important attractions that visitors can see and venture inside of, including preserved Italian homes and a brothel with erotic drawings plastered across the walls.
Despite the high number of fascinating sights to see, there is very little in the way of information throughout the town. For this reason, it’s helpful to grab a guidebook or an audio guide at the entrance in order to learn more about the backstory of Pompeii and how it came to be the museum-like town it is today.
It’s recommended that you spend at least three hours exploring the ruins of Pompeii in order to soak up the abundance of information on offer, though it can get hot so it’s worth allocating some time in the shade to cool off – particularly if you’re visiting in summer.
Once you’ve explored everything you want, you can hop on a bus to Mount Vesuvius where you can learn more about the devastating volcano and witness its impressive beauty in person.
Pompeii provides a fascinating historic look into ancient Italian life and is well worth a visit to learn more about the past of the region.
For more information about our range of Pompeii Tours, please visit https://www.pompeiitours.it/
Original Source: https://sightseeingtoursitaly.wordpress.com/2018/09/27/explore-pompeii/
