Pompeii

 

The Story

When I was in 3rd grade (about 8 years old), we learned about Pompeii, an ancient Roman village that had existed for several centuries before being destroyed in AD79 by the eruption of Vesuvius. At the time, it never occurred to me that I would ever actually get the chance to see it - so when we opened our Italy book and saw that it was virtually on the way from Naples to Amalfi, we had to see it! 

We hired a guide who gave us a tour of the best parts of the ruined city. It is huge (170 square kilometres, and there is still more left to uncover) and incredibly well-preserved. Due to a "stupid tourist" mistake, we had a friendly misunderstanding about the fee for his services - how were we to know that Italians just don't bother saying the "thousand" at the end of the price? There's a big difference between 180 lira and 180,000 lira! 

The Photos

Click on a photo to see a full-size version - use your browser's "back" button to return to this page.

Hover your mouse over the photo to see the caption.

The pillars orginally held up the roof of a great temple. You can see Vesuvius crouching vengefully in the background Josie and I in Pompeii, hoping our guide doesn't decide to do a runner with the camera! Inside the old Roman Baths - sunlight pours through windows A detail on the top of one of the columns, showing the high preservation factor
Our guide explains the Ampitheatre to Josie Flowers grow where once patrons would have enjoyed Greek tragedies Three layers of time - an original Greek ceramic disk, a Roman streetsign, and a modern Italian pointer to the theatre The inside of an old inn, very well preserved.
In one of the two finest houses in Pompeii, this statue and an incredible 3D floor pattern remain untouched A disturbing reminder that the entire city died - when the bodies were covered with ash & rock, the soft tissue created a space from which casts could be made.
 

Last updated: Sunday, September 19, 2004

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Naples ] [ Pompeii ] [ Amalfi One ] [ Amalfi Two ]

Copyright (c) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 & 2003 C. Berkman & J. Alonso.
No reproduction without prior written permission.