Discovering the History and Mystery of Pompeii

Staying in Amalfi Coast villas means that visitors are well-positioned to see the sights of not only the surrounding coastline but also the wider Bay of Naples. Probably the most famous of these sights is the Roman city of Pompeii, ruined in the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius and preserved under pumice and ash until modern times. It is famous for the extensive scale of its survival and the quality of surviving materials, including streets, walls, frescoes, portraits, household objects and, infamously, the plaster-casts of the hollows left by the decomposed bodies of people who perished in the eruption. Even visitors with no prior interest in or knowledge of ancient history will be awed by Pompeii, making it a top choice for a day trip.

Visiting the Site

Reaching the site of Pompeii is easily done by public transport, as it is served by trains on Circumvesuviana from Sorrento, which stop at Pompeii Scavi. (There are also buses.) For people who wish to drive from nearby Amalfi Coast villas, there is parking at the site (although it is very expensive) or nearby in the modern town of Pompeii. Tickets can be bought at the entrance, where it is also possible to join a tour group. Ample signage within the site also makes independent exploration easy.

Top Sights

House of the Vettii: This is a sumptuous residence to rival the finest Amalfi Coast villas, and belonged to two freed slaves — Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus — who became prosperous. It is renowned for its frescoes, which survive in stunning colour.

House of the Faun: One of the city’s largest residences, the House of the Faun is famous for its statue of a dancing faun and a mosaic known as the Alexander Mosaic. The latter is a copy of a 4th century BC Greek painting of Alexander the Great and King Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Issus. Most of the residence’s surviving art has been moved to the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, but high quality replicas of certain pieces — such as the faun and the Alexander Mosaic — have been placed on-site. However, when staying in the Amalfi Coast villas many visitors take another day trip into Naples, where the museum is well worth a visit.

The amphitheatre: This is the earliest amphitheatre surviving in Italy and one of the world’s best preserved. It was capable of holding approximately 20,000 spectators, who enjoyed wild animal spectacles, gladiator battles and other sporting events.

Streets: The streets themselves are an impressive site, with pavements and stepping-stones preserved, as well as grooves for the wheels of carriages. The survival of many lower levels of houses means that walking down the streets of Pompeii is closer to historical reality than in any other ruined city - there is a real sense of being in an ancient city rather than just among piles of stone.

Jonathan Magoni is Senior Manager of Cottages to Castles, a family owned company specialising in high quality holiday villas, apartments and cottages in Italy. For spectacular Amalfi Coast villas or accommodation in the Italian lakes, ski resorts or city centres, we offer only the very best. Discover Italy at your own pace and without time restrictions in our hand picked villas and cottages.

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