Pompeii was an ancient Roman city that was buried by the great eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.
As a result of its sudden and violent burial, the city is impeccably preserved. It retains most of its buildings, decorations, and even the remains of some of its inhabitants.
The city is believed to have been founded by the Oscans in the seventh century BC, and over the years it became a city of riches, full of palaces, monuments and gardens. Pompeii was in an era of great prosperity when it sustained severe damage from a major earthquake in the year 62.
With reconstruction efforts still in progress, in 79 a tragic event occurred that would change the course of the city’s history. One morning Mount Vesuvius awoke with a great deal of force, completely burying the city in ash.
The city lay forgotten until it was rediscovered in the sixteenth century. In 1748 excavations began and more than 45 hectares have since been unearthed.
The ruins of Pompeii are extensive, and tourists can visit many buildings in which residents went about their everyday life, including some temples, the basilica, forum and baths, as well as some of the most lavish homes decorated with frescoes and mosaics.
One of the most unusual buildings is the Lupanar, a brothel containing rudimentary stone beds as well as frescoes with erotic imagery.
Many of the archaeological remains, as well as the figures of some of the bodies found under the ashes, are preserved in the forum barn.
As a curiosity, take a look at the huge stone crosswalks that were used at that time. People could cross the road without soiling their feet, as it was usually flooded and quite dirty.
Pompeii was a spectacular city, and it comes as a surprise that the city is in such a good state of preservation. There is a feeling of visiting a city that continues to be inhabited because most of the buildings and much of the decoration of the houses are preserved.
Probably one of the most striking, and at the same time, chilling parts of the tour is the display of the figures of people who were trapped by the ash, whose faces still demonstrate the panic they felt.
The three main ways to get to Pompeii from Rome are:
150 miles (240 km) south of Rome.
November through March: 8.30am to 5pm.
April through October: 8.30am to 7.30.
UE citizens (18-25): €5.50.
UE citizens (<18 and 65+): free entrance.
Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, Stabia and Antiquarium de Boscoreale
UE citizens (18-25): €10.