Pompeii
Modern-day Pompeii (Pompei in Italian) may feel like a nondescript satellite of Naples, but it's here that you'll find Europe's most compelling archaeological site: the ruins of Pompeii. Sprawling and haunting, the site is a stark reminder of the destructive forces that lie deep inside Vesuvius.
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These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Pompeii.
Archaeological Site
Ruins of Pompeii
The ghostly ruins of ancient Pompeii (Pompei in Italian) make for one of the world's most engrossing archaeological experiences. Much of the site's value lies in the fact that the town wasn't simply blown away by Vesuvius in AD 79 but buried under a layer of lapilli (burning fragments of pumice stone). The result is a remarkably well-preserved slice of ancient life, where visitors can walk down Roman streets and snoop around millennia-old houses, temples, shops, cafes, amphitheatres and even a brothel.
Archaeological Site
Villa dei Misteri
This restored, 90-room villa is one of the most complete structures left standing in Pompeii. The Dionysiac frieze , the most important fresco still on-site, spans the walls of the large dining room. One of the biggest and most arresting paintings from the ancient world, it depicts the initiation of a bride-to-be into the cult of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. A farm for much of its life, the villa's vino-making area is still visible at the northern end.
Archaeological Site
Casa del Fauno
Covering an entire insula (city block) and claiming two atria at its front end (humbler homes had one), Pompeii's largest private house is named after the delicate bronze statue in the impluvium (shallow pool). It was here that early excavators found Pompeii's greatest mosaics, most of which are now in Naples' Museo Archeologico Nazionale. Valuable on-site originals include a beautiful, geometrically patterned marble floor.
Archaeological Site
Tempio di Apollo
The oldest and most important of Pompeii's religious buildings, the Tempio di Apollo largely dates from the 2nd century BC, including the striking columned portico. Fragments remain of an earlier version dating from the 6th century BC. The statues of Apollo and Diana (depicted as archers) on either side of the portico are copies; the originals are housed in Naples' Museo Archeologico Nazionale.
Archaeological Site
Terme Stabiane
At this typical 2nd-century-BC bathing complex, bathers would enter from the vestibule, stop off in the vaulted apodyterium (changing room), and then pass through to the tepidarium (tepid bath) and caldarium (hot bath). Particularly impressive is the stuccoed vault in the men's changing room, complete with whimsical images of putti (winged babies) and nymphs.
Archaeological Site
Casa della Venere in Conchiglia
Casa della Venere in Conchiglia harbours a lovely peristyle looking onto a small, manicured garden. It's here in the garden that you'll find the large, striking Venus fresco, after which the house is named. Venus – whose hairstyle in this depiction reflects the style popular during Emperor Nero's reign – was the city's patron goddess.
Archaeological Site
Casa del Poeta Tragico
The 1st-century AD Casa del Poeta Tragico features the world's first-known 'beware of the dog' – cave canem – warnings. Visible through a protective glass panel, the floor mosaic is one of the best preserved at the ruins. The house itself is featured in Edward Bulwer-Lytton's 1834 novel The Last Days of Pompeii.
Archaeological Site
Terme Suburbane
Just outside ancient Pompeii's city walls, this 1st-century-BC bathhouse is famous for several erotic frescoes that scandalised the Vatican when they were revealed in 2001. The panels decorate what was once the apodyterium (changing room). The room leading to the colourfully frescoed frigidarium (cold bath) features fragments of stuccowork, as well as one of the few original roofs to survive at Pompeii. Beyond the tepadarium (tepid bath) and caldarium (hot bath) rooms are the remains of a heated outdoor swimming pool.
Archaeological Site
Foro
A huge rectangle flanked by limestone columns, the foro was ancient Pompeii's main piazza, as well as the site of gladiatorial games before the Anfiteatro was constructed. The buildings surrounding the forum are testament to its role as the city's hub of civic, commercial, political and religious activity. At its northern end are the remains of the Tempio di Giove (Capitolium), the heart of religious life in Pompeii.
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