The excavations of ancient Pompeii are the only place where you can see what the ancient Roman city really looked like. There are many ruins of settlements of the Roman period in the world, for example, but it was thanks to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that the city of Pompeii was preserved in its original form.

We didn't have much luck while visiting Pompeii as it was pouring with rain. There are many photos from the archaeological site on this page. Many of them may seem faded to you, but we never edit photos based on relevance, even at the expense of beauty.

By the time of the eruption of Vesuvius, the city's population consisted of half the indigenous people, and the second half consisted of the Romans who moved here. Ceramics or simply drawings with Greek inscriptions are constantly found in excavations, evidence that Greek culture was still widespread in Pompeii.

The architecture of Pompeii has become almost completely Roman, you can be sure that you will visit the Roman city and see how the people of the great conquerors who conquered the entire Mediterranean lived.

17 years after the earthquake in 79, a terrible catastrophe occurred, the volcano Vesuvius began its most powerful eruption. A huge amount of volcanic ash was thrown into the air, which covered the nearby area with a layer about 6 meters high. The entire city was buried, only parts of the columns and walls of the tallest houses remained above the surface.

When excavations began in 1748, engineers discovered that the city of Pompeii was preserved in its original form and now you can visit it and see firsthand how the Romans lived two thousand years ago. Now archaeological work is still ongoing, another 25% of the city has not been excavated.

Where are and how to get to the excavations of the city of Pompeii.

Attention! In Italian, the city of Naples is called "Napoli". Keep this in mind when looking for the train or bus you need.

There are two routes that will suit you:

First: Train Naples - Sorrento (Napoli - Sorrento). In this case, you need to get off at the Pombei Scavi station.

Second: Train Naples - Scafati (Napoli - Scafati). In this case, you need to get off at Pompei station.

These trains have slightly different routes and stop stations near the excavations are different.

Both trains can be boarded at several locations. The stations are near the metro: Porta Nolana (lines 3 and 4), Piazza Garibaldi (lines 3 and 4), Via Gianturco (line 4), San Giovanni a Teduccio (line 4), Barra (line 4), San Giorgio a Cremano ( 3 line). Please note that metro lines 3 and 4 are not underground, they are funiculars.

The most interesting thing you can see at the excavations of Pompeii.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the roads. The pride of the Roman state, some of them, laid two thousand years ago, still serve in Italy. The pavement of the streets in the city is made of hewn large stone.

The street had a roadway (in the center of the photo) and sidewalks for pedestrians. Pay attention to large stones - this is a very interesting Roman invention. The stones served for pedestrians to cross the street in rainy weather. We appreciated such a system personally, just at the time of our visit to Pompeii, it was raining.

In turn, the wagons drove freely along the street, the wheels passed between the stones. See more photos of roads in the city in a small photo gallery below.

Not all buildings in Pompeii are in good condition. Some of them will not cause serious interest in an ordinary tourist. We will talk about the most interesting places in the city.

The most luxurious house in Pompeii belonged to Lucius Cornelius Sulla and his nephew (although this is more guesswork than facts). It is called the house of the faun. At the entrance to the house there is a pool with a bronze figurine of a faun in the center, hence the name. The statue is quite small in size, about knee-deep for an adult. Faun is not quite ordinary. Most often, this deity is depicted with goat legs and hooves. This sculpture has human legs, but the features and facial expression, hairstyle and posture are exactly the same as it is customary to depict this particular deity. The house had a huge size of 110 by 40 meters. Such a house was a sign of the highest status of the owner, given that it was located within the city walls. An even larger structure could be built outside the walls, the land there was cheap and there was plenty of it. Inside the walls, only the richest citizen of the city could afford such a mansion.

During excavations in the faun's house, a huge amount of jewelry made of gold and silver was found, the most valuable find of precious metals was a gold bracelet in the shape of a snake wrapped around the owner's hand.

But even more valuable finds were mosaics, of which several dozen were found. They have all been removed and replaced with copies. The originals can be seen in the Naples Museum. The most valuable mosaic is called the Battle of Issus. It shows an important battle between Alexander the Great and the Persians led by King Darius. You can see a photo of the original from the Naples Museum below.

Unfortunately, part of the mosaic has been lost forever. The painting itself dates back to 100 BC, that is, it was created more than 200 years after the death of Alexander the Great. Presumably, this is a copy of an even more ancient Greek mosaic.

In Pompeii, in the house of a faun, you can see a copy installed here in 2005. A team of nine craftsmen from the city of Ravenna worked on this copy for two years, led by Severo Bignami. It is impossible to photograph it from above and in its entirety, you will find photos of the sections in a small photo gallery below.

On the grounds of the house was a central building with a pool for collecting rainwater, separate buildings for slaves, a kitchen, a large garden, and several other outbuildings. You will find photos from the house of the faun in a small gallery below, the garden, of course, was completely destroyed by the eruption, in the photo you will see the reconstruction of the garden.

In Pompeii, several bakeries with millstones for milling flour and ovens for baking bread have been preserved. The Romans did not bake bread at home, but bought it right next to the bakeries, which worked almost around the clock. In most houses and apartments of ordinary citizens there was no device for cooking hot food at all. You will find a photo of the bakery in a small gallery below.

The next building in Pompeii falls under the (18+) category, so those readers who are under 18 years old are prohibited from reading this part of the article. It is clear that this will not stop anyone, but it was worth a try.

This is a well-preserved brothel, which was located on the second floor of the building. Such establishments in Roman cities were not chic. Usually the brothel consisted of several rooms without windows and even without ventilation.

The berths were very small and covered with straw and skins on top. Customers and attendants (we know how to pick up decent synonyms) were sitting rather than lying down. The only decoration of the rooms were frescoes and images of clearly erotic content. See photos in the gallery below.

The large amphitheater is poorly preserved, the steps in it were wooden and were completely destroyed by the eruption. It was used mainly for gladiator fights and similar bloody performances for the crowd.

The Maly Theater is better preserved; its benches were made of stone. In the small theater, theatrical performances, debates or speeches were most often staged.

The central place of the city was the square, which in Roman cities was called the forum, it served both as a market and as a meeting place for citizens on political issues.

Some historians claim that the forum accommodated all the inhabitants of the city, which is doubtful. The population of Pompeii at the time of its heyday was more than 20,000 people. In the photo below you see the figures of people, we think that 20,000 people simply will not fit in the square.

During the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the death of the city, according to various estimates, from 2 to 16 thousand people died. About 1000 bodies were found during excavations, but in a very interesting form. People were littered with ashes right in those poses in which they died. Hollows have formed in the ashes and they are filled with plaster to make a cast.

Mysterious Pompeii, an ancient settlement that keeps the breath of Ancient Rome, is today an open-air museum. An extinct city, today it comes back to life thanks to the efforts of archaeologists, however, already as a museum exhibit.

History pages

Until the moment when the eruption of Vesuvius swept the city from the face of the earth, Pompeii was very highly developed and high-tech for its time settlement.

Pompeii (Pompeii) - not exactly a Roman city, as is commonly believed. It was founded in the 8th century BC. Osci tribe - one of the ancient peoples of Italy. The name "Pompeii" from the ancient Oscan language can be translated as "five", the reason for this name lies in the fact that Pompei were founded on the site of five ancient Oscan settlements.

True, there is another version, more related to mythology: supposedly in these parts Hercules defeated a powerful adversary and arranged a solemn procession in the city on this occasion (Pompe - this is how “Pompeii” is translated from the ancient Greek language).

In Italy it was at that time many Greek colonies, therefore, a little time later, Osci adopt Greek culture and architecture. The latter is especially clearly seen: the first buildings were chaotic, the order of buildings was not respected, and later, under the Hellenic influence, urban architecture acquires a clearer outline - strict rows of streets and rows of houses. Moreover, the Osks did not even suspect that they were building their houses right on the frozen lava ...

After many battles Romans took control of the city.

Pompeii has a very convenient location in economic terms: at the foot of Vesuvius, on the Sarno River. This location allowed the inhabitants of the city to use the river for navigation and trade. The inhabitants were engaged in the production of oils, wool and wines, which also contributed to the trade and prosperity of the city. And the Appian Way, which passed through the city, was important for the economy and trade.

Gradually, Pompei come under the rule of Rome and become a recreation center for noble Roman patricians. The city grew and developed...

Are you dreaming of visiting Florence, one of the most romantic cities in Italy? Then you should look at the main architectural structure of the city - Palazzo Vecchio. Detailed information .

The tragedy of the city

The first "wake-up call" rang in 62 AD, when a strongest earthquake. Many houses and temples were destroyed. But the inhabitants of the city managed to restore everything in a short time and again life flowed along the usual course.

The peak fell on August 24, 79. On this day, there was a strong eruption of the Vesuvius volcano, after which the city was buried for centuries under a multi-meter layer of ash.

The day before, ash flakes began to fall on the city, and there was so much of it that they had to constantly shake it off their clothes. The volcano was thought to be dormant for a long time., so at first none of the inhabitants paid attention to the cloud of smoke and fire escaping from the vent.

Stones began to fall from the sky, and the ashes settled on the houses in such a thick layer that the roofs began to collapse., burying people remaining in the premises.

The more astute citizens left Pompeii immediately after the first rains, and fled to the nearby villages. The eruption continued for about a day. The city was completely destroyed.

It was discovered by chance, in the 17th century, during the construction of a water supply system. The honor of discovery belongs to the Italian architect Domenico Fontana, who, while excavating, came across the remains of a wall and well-preserved frescoes by the river. And for a long time they could not imagine that these pitiful remains are the ruins of the mighty Pompeii.

And only when sign was found(border pillar), it became clear that here the once majestic ancient Roman city was buried under the layers of earth.

Full-fledged excavations began a century later, in the 17th century, and continue to this day, as well as scientific research.

For more on the tragedy of Pompeii and excavations, see the video:

Attractions and interesting places

Today, on the site of the legendary city, you can see only the remains of its former greatness. You can find the Pompei excavation site near Naples. open-air museum city attracts many tourists every year.

Pompeii is not only a mass of the most interesting sights of Italy, but also a unique witness to history. Due to the fact that the city was almost instantly covered with ashes, all the surviving buildings, frescoes, mosaics, sculptures and objects are very well preserved. So, what can be seen today at the place where Pompeii is located?

• Forum.

  This building can be called the heart of the ancient Roman city, its social and economic center. At first, there was only a trading square on the site of the Forum, then the market was significantly expanded, and residents began to gather at the market not only for shopping, but also for discussing city events.
  



• Lupanar.

  "A wicked place" in the city, where the townspeople came in search of carnal pleasures. The name itself is translated from Italian as "she-wolf" - it was with the help of a wolf-like howl that women of easy virtue attracted their customers. It was quite easy to recognize the priestesses of love of that time - hair gathered and raised at the back of the head, and a wide red belt on clothes.

  All rooms for love dates were painted with erotic frescoes. Today, some of these frescoes can be seen in the Archaeological Museum of Naples. By the way, this was not the only brothel in the city (there were about 30 of them in total), but Lupanar was the most famous.
  



• Amphitheater.

  A large-scale structure on two levels was intended for gladiator fights and various spectacles. Only the outer walls and seats survived, but the steps were completely destroyed - they were made of wood and simply did not survive after the eruption.
  



• Residential houses.

  All buildings and residential buildings are very well preserved, almost in their original form (if, of course, an amendment is made to the past tense). The interior decoration of the houses did not differ in aesthetics, but outwardly they were very richly decorated, painted with frescoes or decorated with mosaic ornaments.

  There were almost no windows in the houses (unlike the palaces and houses of rich nobles), they were replaced by narrow openings. There were no street signs either, each house was simply written with the name of its owner (some of these signs are kept in the Archaeological Museum). On the territory of each house there was a stone pool for collecting rainwater (such water was considered sacred).
  



• Frescoes found during excavations.

  They contain historical scenes and scenes of Roman amusements. Almost all of them have been transferred to the Naples Museum, and in the restored city one can observe only skillfully made copies.
  

• In addition, you can also see Temple of Jupiter, Maly Theatre, Bolshoi Theatre, Stabian Baths, triumphal arches and other preserved buildings of Pompeii.

During the excavations it was found a lot of gold jewelry, ceramic products. Pottery is generally well preserved, however, drawings and patterns on pots and jugs suffered from fire and time.

Found several bakeries - huge stoves, kitchen utensils and other equipment, as well as the so-called thermopolies - taverns. Rarely in any house in Pompeii there were kitchens with stoves, so food was delivered from such thermopolies.

Opening hours, ticket prices

• During high season(from the beginning of April to the end of October) you can get into Pompei from 8.30 in the morning, and the closing time is at 19.00 (the box office closes at 17.30, an hour and a half before closing).
• In the low season(this time is from November to March) You can see Pompeii from 8.30 (9.00) in the morning until 17.00 (the box office closes at 15.30).
• Ticket price - 13 euros. They can be purchased at the box office.

There, at the box office, you can take a guide card, otherwise it is not surprising to get lost in all the intricacies of the ancient streets.

• An excursion to Pompeii can be combined with a visit to other ancient cities - Herculaneum, Boscoreale, Villa Stadia and others. In this case, the ticket will cost at 22 euros (with a discount).
• Groups of schoolchildren and students can visit Pompeii by appointment. None there is no limit on the number of groups.

You can check ticket prices, find out about the schedule of excursions, as well as get other background information about Pompeii. on the official website of the attraction - www.pompeiisites.org

There are no Russian speaking guides here, and the guide map is offered in Italian or English. Therefore, you can print information about the most significant objects and sights of Pompeii in advance on the Internet, and navigate on the spot based on this data.

What do we know about the ancient city of Pompeii? History tells us that once this prosperous city suddenly died with all the inhabitants under the lava of an awakened volcano. In fact, the history of Pompeii is very interesting and filled with a lot of details.

Foundation of Pompeii

Pompeii is one of the oldest Roman cities located in the province of Naples in the Campagna region. On the one hand, the coast (which was previously called Kumansky), and on the other, the Sarn River (in ancient times).

How was Pompeii founded? The history of the city tells that it was founded by the ancient Oski tribe in the 7th century BC. These facts are confirmed by the fragments of the temple of Apollo and the Doric temple, whose architecture corresponds to the period when Pompeii was founded. The city stood just at the intersection of several paths - to Nola, Stabiae and Kuma.

Wars and submission

The first harbinger of impending disaster was an earthquake that occurred on February 5, 63 BC.

Seneca in one of his writings noted that since Campania was a seismically active zone, such an earthquake is not uncommon for it. And earthquakes happened before, but their strength was very small, the inhabitants simply got used to them. But this time, expectations exceeded all expectations.

Then in the three neighboring cities - Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples - buildings suffered greatly. The destruction was such that over the next 16 years, the houses could not be fully restored. All 16 years there were active restoration works, reconstructions, cosmetic repairs. Also, the plans included the construction of several new buildings, for example, the Central Baths, which could not be completed until the day of the death of Pompeii.

The death of Pompeii. The first day

The inhabitants tried to restore Pompeii. The history of the death of the city indicates that the catastrophe began in 79 BC, in the afternoon, August 24, and lasted 2 days. The eruption of what was until then thought to be a dormant volcano destroyed everything. Then, under the lava, not only Pompeii perished, but also three more cities - Stabiae, Oplontia and Herculaneum.

During the day, a cloud of ash and steam appeared over the volcano, but no one paid much attention to it. A little later, a cloud covered the sky over the entire city, and ash flakes began to settle on the streets.

The tremors coming from underground continued. Gradually, they intensified to such an extent that carts overturned, finishing materials crumbled from houses. Along with the ashes, stones began to fall from the sky.

The streets and houses of the city were filled with suffocating sulphurous fumes, many people simply suffocated in their homes.

Many tried to leave the cities with valuables, while others who were unable to leave their property died in the ruins of their homes. The products of the volcanic eruption overtook people both in public places and outside the city. But still, most of the inhabitants were able to leave Pompeii. History confirms this fact.

The death of Pompeii. Second day

The next day, the air in the city became hot, the volcano itself erupted, destroying all living things, all buildings and property of people with lava. After the eruption, there was a lot of ash that covered the entire city, the thickness of the ash layer reached 3 meters.

After the catastrophe, a special commission arrived at the scene of events, which stated the "death" of the city and that it could not be restored. Then it was still possible to meet people who were trying to find their property on what was left of the streets of the former city.

Along with Pompeii, more cities perished. But they were discovered only thanks to the discovery of Herculaneum. This second city, which was also at the foot of Vesuvius, did not die from lava and ash. After the eruption, the volcano, like the affected cities, was covered with a three-meter layer of stones and ash, which hung menacingly like an avalanche that could come down at any moment.

And soon after the eruption, torrential rain began, which carried away a thick layer of ash from the slopes of the volcano and a column of water with dust and stones fell directly on Herculaneum. The depth of the stream was 15 meters, so the city was buried alive under the stream from Vesuvius.

How Pompeii was found

Stories and stories about the terrible events of that year have long been passed down from generation to generation. But after a few centuries, people lost the idea of ​​where the dead city of Pompeii was located. The history of the death of this city gradually began to lose facts. People lived their lives. Even in those cases when the remains of ancient buildings were found by people, for example, by digging wells, no one could even think that these were parts of the ancient city of Pompeii. The history of excavations began only in the 18th century and is indirectly connected with the name of Maria Amalia Christina.

She was the daughter of King August III of Saxony, who left the Dresden court after her marriage to Charles of Bourbon. Charles was king of the Two Sicilies.

The current queen was in love with art and looked around the halls of the palace, parks and other possessions with great interest. And one day she drew attention to the sculptures that were previously found before the last eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Some of these statues were found by chance, while others - at the suggestion of General d'Elbeuf. Queen Mary was so struck by the beauty of the sculptures that she asked her husband to find new ones for her.

Vesuvius last erupted at that time in 1737. During this incident, part of its top flew into the air, the slope was left bare. Since the volcano had not been active for a year and a half, the king agreed to start searching for sculptures. And they started from the place where the general had once finished his search.

Search for statues

Excavations took place with great difficulty, since it was necessary to destroy a thick (15 meters) layer of hardened lava. For this, the king used special tools, gunpowder, the power of workers. In the end, the workers stumbled upon something metallic in the artificial shafts. So three large fragments of giant bronze horses were found.

After that, it was decided to seek help from a specialist. For this, the Marquis Marcello Venuti, who was the keeper of the royal library, was invited. Further, three more marble statues of Romans in togas, the body of a bronze horse, as well as painted columns were found.

Discovery of Herculaneum

At that moment, it became clear that there would be more to come. The royal couple, arriving at the excavation site on December 22, 1738, examined the discovered stairs and an inscription stating that a certain Rufus built the Theatrum Herculanense theater at his own expense. Experts continued excavations, because they knew that the theater means the presence of the city. There were a lot of statues that the water current brought to the back wall of the theatre. This is how Herculaneum was discovered. Thanks to this find, it was possible to organize a museum, which had no equal at that time.

But Pompeii was at a shallower depth than Herculaneum. And the king, after consulting with the head of his technical detachment, decided to postpone the excavations, taking into account the notes of scientists regarding the location of the city of Pompeii. History has marked all memorable events with the hands of scientists.

Pompeii excavations

So, the search for Pompeii began on April 1, 1748. After 5 days, the first fragment of the wall painting was found, and on April 19, the remains of a man, from whose hands several silver coins rolled out. It was the center of the city of Pompeii. Unfortunately, not realizing the importance of the find, the experts decided that they needed to look elsewhere, and filled up this place.

A little later, an amphitheater and a villa were found, which was later called the House of Cicero. The walls of this building were beautifully painted and decorated with frescoes. All art objects were seized, and the villa was immediately filled back.

After that, for 4 years, the excavations and the history of Pompeii were abandoned, attention shifted to Herculaneum, where a house with the Villa dei Papiri library was found.

In 1754, experts again returned to the excavations of the city of Pompeii, to its southern part, where an ancient wall and the remains of several graves were found. Since then, the excavations of the city of Pompeii have been actively undertaken.

Pompeii: an alternative history of the city

Today, there is still an opinion that the year of the death of Pompeii is a fiction based on a letter that allegedly describes the volcanic eruption to Tacitus. Here questions arise about why in these letters Pliny does not mention either the names of the cities of Pompeii or Herculaneum, or the fact that it was there that the uncle of Pliny the Elder lived, who died in Pompeii.

Some scholars refute the fact that the catastrophe occurred precisely in 79 BC, due to the fact that in various sources you can find information about 11 eruptions that occurred in the period from 202 to 1140 AD (after the incident that destroyed Pompeii). And the next eruption dates only to 1631, after which the volcano remained active until 1944. As you can see, the facts show that the volcano, which was actively active, fell asleep for 500 years.

Pompeii in the modern world

The history of the city of Herculaneum and the history of Pompeii remain very interesting today. Photos, videos and various scientific materials can be found in the library or the Internet. Many historians are still trying to unravel the mystery of the ancient city, to study its culture as much as possible.

Many artists, including K. Bryullov, in addition to their other works, depicted the last day of Pompeii. The story is that in 1828 K. Bryullov visited the excavation sites and even then made sketches. In the period from 1830 to 1833, his artistic masterpiece was created.

Today the city has been restored as much as possible, it is one of the most famous monuments of culture (along with the Colosseum or Venice). The city has not yet been fully excavated, but many buildings are available for inspection. You can walk along the streets of the city and admire the beauty, which is more than 2000 years old!

Pompeii is a huge city-museum in the open air, which in 1997 was included in the list of UNESCO cultural heritage of the world. Every day, thousands of tourists flock here to touch the ancient history, to witness everyday details of a thousand years ago and to feel the horror of the city buried under the ash and lava of a capricious volcano.

Pompeii was founded by the Oska mountain tribes in the 7th century. BC, who built the city on solidified lava, not guessing either the origin of this "foundation" or the reason for the fertility of the soil.
At that time, Vesuvius was sleeping and seemed like a harmless mountain.
In the 4th century BC became part of the Roman state.
It remained overshadowed by the larger settlements of Campania for a long time.
History of urban planning Pompey It is divided into two periods, as evidenced by the presence of different architectural parts of the city: old quarters with chaotic buildings, and new quarters built according to a single plan.
The old quarters are a legacy of the Oscans who built houses intuitively. Planned construction began in the 4th century. BC. At this time, straight streets with names, rectangular quarters, temples, markets, amphitheaters appeared.
Pompeii was built according to Roman urban planning traditions: in the center, two streets cardo and decumanus intersected, forming a central square.
At the beginning of the 5th century, the area of ​​​​Pompeii was more than 65 hectares.
The pavements were paved with cobblestones, and caring for the condition of the roads was the responsibility of the townspeople: everyone watched the area adjacent to the house, removed the garbage, and repaired. Roads and mourning had a sloping profile for the flow of water, heading into the city sewer.

A fountain was installed at almost every intersection. On some streets there were altars decorated with paintings, stucco and inscriptions.

The facades of the houses overlooked the city streets, on the lower floors of which there were shops and workshops, on the upper floors there were living quarters.
Excellently executed frescoes, mosaics, statues testify to the high level of fine art. The originals are placed in the Archaeological Museum of Naples, but copies have been installed in their place, which give a wonderful impression of former luxury.

Private houses were quite simple. The warm climate made it possible to do without windows, thereby saving on expensive glass. Sometimes narrow cracks were punched in the wall. The houses faced the street with blank ends, instead of numbers they wrote the name of the owner.

Above the residential houses of noble citizens, a portico was arranged - a wooden canopy on pillars that protected from rain and sun.
The atrium was considered the main room of the dwelling, i.e. enclosed courtyard, in the center of which there was a pool for collecting rainwater. This water was considered sacred. Adjacent to the atrium were rooms intended for sleeping and working; and also had a garden and a dining room. The houses of the nobility were distinguished by luxury and wealth, the number of rooms reached 40.

Water was supplied through pipes to the houses and fountains of the city.

Pompeii was a rich and highly developed city where trade and crafts flourished.
At the same time, it was a densely populated city, in which the entire flow of people flocked to the business center of the Forum.
The Forum hosted city council meetings and related ceremonies, from elections and oaths to solemn funerals.
In working on the project of the forum, the architects followed the ancient tradition: it should not be small for practical purposes, but it should not seem deserted due to the small number of people.
The oldest building of the Forum is considered to be the Basilica, in which justice was administered, and in the rest of the time commercial and entertainment meetings were held in it. Near the Basilica was a prison, consisting of cramped rooms without windows, with narrow, iron-bound doors.

In the II century. BC. the central place in the Forum was occupied by the temple of Jupiter or the Capitol, which was considered the main sacred building. After the final conquest by the Romans, the temple was dedicated to the three Capitoline deities - Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. A wide staircase with a stone terrace led to its main entrance, from where the priests delivered ceremonial speeches.

During the Roman Empire, the Triumphal Arch dedicated to the emperor Tiberius was erected at the Forum, administrative buildings were built, the tabularium - the city archive, buildings for ceremonies, the temple of Apollo, the Pantheon - the temple of Augustus.

Part of the area was occupied by a food market - macellum. Nearby were the temples of the city Lares and Vespasian, the stock exchange of Eumachia, Comitium - a platform for citizens to vote.

At sunset, the Forum closed. The porter went around all the exits and locked the gates. The main square of the city was empty until morning. After sunset, only prison guards and prisoners were allowed in the Forum.

The ancient Romans loved and worshiped the gods of the conquered peoples. They moved other people's idols to themselves and treated them with great respect, trying to earn their sympathy. Pagan temples were located on the main squares.

The best preserved temple of Isis.
Isis was the idol of wealthy Roman women, who found her protection in extramarital love. The priestesses of the temple of Isis also arranged dates between same-sex lovers.
The temple, placed in the middle of a quadrangular portico with columns covered with drawings, rises on a high podium with a side staircase. On the sides are equipped with two niches intended for the statues of Anubis and Arpocrates, the son and brother of Isis.
Behind the temple are small buildings, where the priestesses of Isis gathered and arranged dates, and there was also a Purgatory with water from the Nile, which was used in the rite of purification.

In Pompeii there were two theaters built according to the Greek model.
big theater was built in 200-150. BC. in a natural hollow of a hill. During the time of Augustus, the theater was enlarged, and its capacity was 5,000 spectators. The lower part of the theater has been preserved, covered with marble and intended for the most important citizens.

AT Pompeii worked set thermopolium- ancient taverns, where they served hot food and wine with spices. The dishes were warmed up with the help of volumetric vessels built into the counter up to the very neck, into which hot water was poured.

There were many public baths in the city, while each rich house had its own baths.

But the life of a prosperous city was cut short by the will of fate. The destructive eruption of Vesuvius brought not only human tragedy, but also gave "immortality" to Pompeii.
The forerunners of the volcanic eruption was a strong earthquake that occurred in 62 AD. Almost all the buildings of Pompeii were damaged, some completely destroyed. But the city was quickly restored.

The eruption of Vesuvius began on the afternoon of August 24, 79 AD.
At first, few residents paid attention to the cloud of ash and steam that rose above the volcano, because Vesuvius had long been considered asleep.
Soon a black cloud covered the entire sky over the city, ash flakes settled on the roofs of houses, sidewalks, trees. The ashes had to be constantly shaken off the clothes.
Under its layer, the bright colors of the city faded, merging into a single gray background. Continuous tremors constantly shook the earth.
The earthquake that began was so strong that carts on the streets began to overturn, and statues fell from houses and tiles crumbled.
It was possible to go out into the street only by covering the head with a pillow, since after the ashes, stones began to fall from the sky. People's anxiety grew.
The pillar rising from the mouth of the volcano reached a height of 20 km.

Many residents tried to hide from the ashes in their houses, but poisonous sulfurous vapors quickly filled the air there and people died from suffocation.

Under the weight of ash, the roofs of houses collapsed on the inhabitants who had taken refuge in them.
Many died, unable to leave valuables.
During the excavations, many people were found with bags full of gold and other valuables.
The explosion was extended in time, so most of the residents managed to leave the city.

Slaves remained in the city, who were left on purpose to protect household property, and citizens who stubbornly refused to leave their homes.
The next morning met the people who remained in the vicinity with pitch darkness, the air became hot. The eruption of Vesuvius completely destroyed.
The city disappeared under a layer of ash, the thickness of which reached several meters.
For many centuries, in the place where olive trees used to grow and vineyards were green, dull gray plains of hardened lava stretched.
The cities buried under the ashes disappeared from the memory of people for almost 1700 years, until by chance, at the end of the 16th century, the architect Fontana, digging a well near Sarno, found the remains of a wall and fragments of frescoes. The first excavations of the city began in the 18th century.
The first of all the cities were excavated.

Directions:
Take the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to the Pompei Scavi stop.

Opening hours:
From November 1 to March 31: all days from 8.30 to 17.00 (ticket office until 15.30)
From April 1 to October 31: all days from 8.30 to 19.30 (ticket office until 18.00)
Closed: January 1st, May 1st, December 25th.

The official archaeological site of Pompeii is www.pompeiisites.org.

A visit to which will help you immerse yourself in history. Pompeii is one of the most significant places in Italy, a preserved ancient city that leaves an unforgettable experience. You can get to the ancient city of Pompeii by going to the south of the country. Near Naples is the beautifully preserved ancient city of Pompeii. Every day, thousands of tourists from all over the world visit the dead city. The preserved ancient city will allow you to see and immerse yourself in the tragic history of antiquity.

Why you need to plunge into the world of antiquity in Pompeii and how they can surprise you can be read in this article.

There are several legends that tell the story of the ancient city of Pompeii. One of them says that the ancient city of Pompeii appeared in the Apennines thanks to very fertile lands, the proximity of the volcano did not bother the first settlers. The Auzones were the first to settle in Pompeii and began to cultivate generous lands, later, in the 6th century BC, the Osco tribe also settled here. The ancient city connected five settlements on its territory. Artistic creations in the form of wall paintings, mosaics, sculptures - all this flaunted on houses, public buildings,.

There is a more romantic story that says that Hercules defeated Geryon and founded Pompeii in honor of his triumphant battle.

The ancient city of Pompeii in its heyday

In the VI century BC. the city lived its best years, the main sights date back to this time, which you can see now. The ancient city of Pompeii was surrounded by a fortress wall, and an ancient sanctuary was erected in it. The ancient city was ruled by the Samnites (the peoples of Italy from antiquity), later Pompeii became a colony and lost the status of a free city. The families of the patricians moved to Pompeii and built beautiful villas here, they were very attracted by the land, generous in the sun and warmth, as well as a very comfortable climate. In these bottoms in Pompeii were erected:

1. Villa of the Mysteries. This building is interesting for the design of the walls, on which the Dionysian rituals were applied, such graphic designs were used earlier in the design of tapestries.
2. Appian Way. During the heyday of the ancient city of Pompeii, a road appeared between Rome and southern Italy, connecting the center and south of the country.
3. Forum. An incredible building with a powerful impression, 157x38 m in size, in the time of Pompeii, it could accommodate up to 20 thousand spectators.
4. An amphitheater for various spectacles, competitions and baiting of wild animals. There were two in Pompeii. One contained 5, the second - 1.5 thousand.

This period of the existence of Pompeii is marked by special attention to the external design of the city, a huge number of statues, frescoes, mosaics. Pompeii jewelry has an aesthetic component; handicrafts developed in the ancient city.

For a long time, a century and a half after people settled in this fertile land, the volcano did not show signs of life. Small eruptions did not cause any trouble to Pompeii. And in 62 AD. in early February, a volcanic eruption brought the first serious destruction to the city. The city had not yet had time to recover, as in 79 BC. once again the life of Pompeii depended on the eruption of Vesuvius. Lava burned all the surroundings of Pompeii and destroyed the city.

The ancient city of Pompeii is reborn from the ashes after a thousand years. The volcano calmed down and the inhabitants again began to inhabit the fertile lands, the new settlers did not know about the tragedy that occurred many centuries ago. What attracted new inhabitants to these lands? Bright sun, fertile land and wonderful climate. During earthworks, people began to find the remains of fortress walls, structures, fragments of frescoes and inscriptions. Already in 1748, excavations began. Initially, archaeologists assumed that the burnt city was Stabiae. When the boundary pillar was found in 1763, it became clear to everyone that the structures of ancient Pompeii had been found.

During a visit to Pompeii today, you can see almost the entire ancient city. A quarter of Pompeii is still closed to visitors, excavations are still underway.

During a tour of the ancient city of Pompeii, you will be taken to the arena, you will see a private gymnastic school - palestra, theaters, baths (baths of the ancient city), partially preserved ancient houses.

Tourists in Pompeii are taken to a country lupanar (brothel), famous for its famous frescoes depicting themes of frivolity.

Near the ruins of the Herculaneus Gate, you will see the Villa of the Mysteries with amazing frescoes preserved.

The Villa of Diomedes is also worth a visit. During the excavations of Pompeii, 20 dead during the volcanic eruption were found in this place.

The artistic design of buildings in Pompeii surprises with attention to different aspects of life and the level of implementation. Pictures depicting birds and animals, fish, placed in the premises of the city once replaced the inhabitants of wallpaper and tapestries. Now the originals are in the museum in Naples, and the life of the ancient city was recreated in Pompeii by the hands of museum workers.

Worthy of careful viewing, for example, "Pompeian Cat", "Plato's Academy", "Alexander's Mosaic", "Comedians".

Touch the beauty, marvel at the desire of the ancients to surround themselves with art in Pompeii.