Ten best things to see at Pompeii

Ten best things to see at Pompeii

What is Pompeii and why is it famous?

Pompeii was a thriving Roman town and sat in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, an active volcano. When Vesuvius erupted in AD79, it buried Pompeii under tonnes of volcanic rocks and ash. The town was destroyed and lay under the debris for nearly 2000 years. Pompeii was rediscovered in 1748 and excavations began in earnest in the 18th century. Those excavations and associated archaeological discoveries are still going on today.

Mount Vesuvius is the mountainous backdrop to the Bay of Naples. The volcano is thought to have laid dormant for 700 years before its eruption in 79 AD, and various settlements had grown at its foothills. The fertile soil, the proximity to Naples, and the access to the sea would have made it a pleasant and prosperous place to live, work, and trade.

The volcanic eruption killed around 2,000 inhabitants in Pompeii and around 17,000 elsewhere within the Gulf of Naples. This was a sudden tragic event and many people didn’t have time to escape the city and were found preserved lying buried beneath metres of ash during the city’s excavations.

Pompeii was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 and is one of Italy’s most-visited attractions.

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Ten best things to see at Pompeii

Grand Forum

1          Grand Forum – The Civil Forum excavated in 1813 would have been the town centre and the core of daily life of the city. It is the focal point of all the main public buildings for city administration and justice, business management and trade activities such as markets.

Roman Bath House

2          Roman Bath House (Central Baths) – The largest of the city’s bath complexes, taking up an entire block of Regio IX, the Central Baths were under construction at the time of the eruption. The complex includes of several windows, which would have provided ample light and plentiful ventilation of the rooms. Unlike in other bath complexes present in the city, there was no division between female and male areas.

Large Theatre

3          The Large Theatre – This amphitheatre the only centre for entertainment in Pompeii. It held about 5,000 people and hosted Greek tragedies. It was built on the slope of a hill like most Greek theatres and was semi-circular. The seats were numbered and a velarium (dome) was installed above, which was a type of tarp. It protected spectators from the sun.

Takeaways and Snack Bars (ancient)

4          Takeaways & Snack bars –   Snack bars (Thermopolium) are common around Pompeii.  They contain bowls (dolia) which were heated to keep food warm and are decorated by frescos reflecting food on offer. In one food bar a fresco depicts a dog with a collar on a leash, possibly a reminder for customers to leash their pets.

House of the Ancient Hunt

5          Nobles’ houses (House of the Ancient Hunt) – This house shows the typical layout of a Roman house with an entrance, atrium and tablinum all on a single axis. Among the frescoes two mythological paintings stand out. The god Apollo and a Nymph, as well as Diana and Actaeon, a hunter who was turned into a stag by the goddess because he had seen her naked while she was bathing. The hunting scene that gave its name to the house.

Brothel

6          Brothel (Lupanar) – The prostitutes in the brothel were mostly Greek and Oriental slaves who were paid between two and eight Asses (a glass of wine cost one Ass) for their services. Small paintings with erotic depictions on the walls of the central corridor informed customers of the activities that took place within the Lupanare.

Cave Canem

7          Cave Canem (“Beware of the Dog”) – The famous mosaic in the entrance to the House of the Tragic Poet. The mosaic that reads CAVE CANEM (“beware of the dog“) and is now protected with glass. The originals of the mosaics and paintings are preserved at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. A part of the novel, The Last Days of Pompeii, written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1838), takes place in the house.

Garden of Fugitives

8          Garden of the Fugitives – This area, once hosting homes, is now a memorial to 13 peoples casts which were found inside the enclosure. They were trying to escape the eruptions pyroclastic flow, which was fatal due to asphyxiation and high temperatures. The bodies of these victims remained in the same position as when the pyroclastic flow hit them and, being covered by calcified layers of ash, the form of their bodies was preserved even after the biological material decomposed. Thanks to the method perfected by Giuseppe Fiorelli, since 1863 a little over a hundred casts have been made. The Fugitives were uncovered in 1961 as hollow cavities and when filled with plaster of Paris, the bodies of the victims were cast. The casts of the 13 victims can be seen in a glass case.

Stepping Stones

9          Stepping stones – One of the most noticeable features on the streets is the series of large raised stones placed in strategic locations. These prominent stepping stones acted as crosswalks. Drainage was also particularly important since most homes in Pompeii had no direct sewer connection. Refuse was washed into the street, making these stepping stones critical. Raised sidewalks with drainage also allowed people to move freely without putting their feet in sewage.

Piazza Amphitheatre

10        Piazza Amphitheatre – Finally the amphitheatre at Pompeii is the oldest surviving Roman amphitheatre in the world. It’s located at the far end of the site, a mile from the main gate and the Forum. Built around 70 BC, the amphitheatre is one of the earliest Roman amphitheatres built of stone, previously they had been built out of wood.  It was designed so it could fit upwards of 20,000 people.

If you want an insight into Pompei before you go then watch the BBC mini-series Pompeii: The New Dig.

Pompeii or Pompei?

You may have seen two spellings of the word – Pompeii and Pompei. Which spelling is correct? Pompeii refers to the ancient city that got buried under Vesuvius’ ashes in 79 AD. Pompei refers to the modern city which is a commune from Naples. Pompeii is situated just to the east of the ancient city.

Now read our blog on Eight top tips for visiting Pompeii.