Pompeii is an ancient Roman city in the Campania region of Italy. Nearby is Mount Vesuvius, which erupted in 79 CE. The volcanic ash covered the city and preserved so much of life nearly 2,000 years ago. It was rediscovered in 1748.
Even before entering the old city, I was impressed by the sheer size of Pompeii.
The design and quality of sound in the Odeon Theatre is impressive.
I felt somewhat connected to the past whilst walking along the old streets.
As the guide pointed out, if you look closely, you can see the evidence of chariot wheels.
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| Impression of Chariot wheel Pompeii/ G Sutton 2019 |
The Roman plumbing skills are well known and impressive to see.
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| Fountain at Pompeii |
Location of underground water system (the drain is modern)
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Old house pipe
The Roman spas are also quite famous. Following are scenes from Pompeii showing the structures beneath the floor.
The sex slaves in the brothel (latin word, lupanare, wolf den) served the visiting traders and is not far from the baths. Phallic symbols displayed on the walls and carved in the stones of the street point the way to the brothel. There are ten stone beds each located in a room. Colourful explicit sex scenes have been preserved, which apparently served as a menu. The available history indicates the girl sex slaves were purchased from east. Apparently, much of the erotic art has been taken by private collectors.
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| Bed in Pompeii brothel |
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| Brothel sign in a Pompeii street |
The Pompeii forum is hard to capture in photos. Here's a few to give you a sense of the size. Also refer to the panorama photo at the top of this post.
Some of the preserved finds from Pompeii are on display here, whilst others are in museums.
Some Romans continued Greek religious practices-- here's the Temple of Apollo with Mount Vesuvius in the background.
Some thoughts
Although I appreciated the guide for her experience in leading us to some of the highlights, which saves new visitors a considerable time, I would have liked more time.
Now I would like to visit the archeological museum in Naples to get a better look at the artifacts.
There are refreshments near the entrance to the old city of Pompeii.
It can be very hot and there is little to no shade.
There are toilets near the Pompeii city exit and in the restaurant near the entrance.
More information on visiting Pompeii http://pompeiisites.org/en/
See the other cities we visited in ITALY
Connections
Publications (many free downloads)
