And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love.. Pompeii, Italy
- sophiejanedantas
- Dec 6, 2017
- 2 min read
If you love history then the ancient city of Pompeii should definitely be on your 'to visit' list.
Pompeii was an ancient Roman city located in Naples, Italy.
The city of Pompeii was mostly destroyed and buried by volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD.
The site was lost for almost 1500 years until being rediscovered in 1599. The objects that lay beneath the volcanic ash were preserved due to lack of air and moisture which provided a detailed insight into the life of a historic city.
Plaster was used to fill in the gaps between ash layers that once held every day objects and human bodies, sadly showing the exact position these people and animals died.
Pompeii is a HUGE site to visit and if you want to see all of the buildings you will need AT LEAST a full day here. The majority of the site is outdoors and on uneven surfaces so I highly recommend taking lots of water and wearing comfortable shoes. A 1-day ticket costs around €13 for an adult and under 18's are free - price includes a guide book of the attractions.
One of the most popular attractions in Pompeii is 'The Brothel' and the best way to find it is to follow the stone penis - Yes, this is a real thing! Stone penises are, not so easily, spotted around the site showing the direction to old brothel areas. The brothel is a very small building with stone beds and erotic art work placed on the walls.
There is a cafe and restaurant inside the site however I highly recommend the small stalls outside of the grounds which serve panino (a filled bread roll) - absolutely delicious!
Food and drinks are rather pricey as it is a very popular tourist area however they do allow you to take your own food and drinks into the site.
The main square of the Pompeii is filled with HUGE, almost intimidating statues. An awesome place to stop and take photos. My favourite statue is that of the fallen angel, however, the artwork and statues can be found throughout the ruins often appearing alone.. Broken faces, pillars and disarming male figures are just a few that can be seen.
Mount Vesuvius sits currently silent in the distance.
Although still active, the volcano hasn't fully erupted since 1944.
It is the only active volcano in mainland Europe.
Fun fact - Pompeii is not only home to all of this fascinating history, it is also home to lots of lizards! I almost guarantee that during your visit to these ruins you will spot AT LEAST one lizard. They make their way between the cracks of the ruins, laze around on the dusty steps and will almost certainly have run away by the time you take out your camera. Lizard spotting definitely brings a little light-hearted fun to an area of such tragedy.
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