Italy: Well Preserved Pompeii

As soon as it was decided that Mr ESLT and I were going to travel to Sorrento in Southern Italy I knew straight away I wanted to visit Pompeii. I don’t remember learning about it at a school but the city has always been of interest to me through TV shows/films I have seen about it. The fact that we were staying under an hour away sealed the deal – we were going to see it and we were blown away at just how well preserved Pompeii is, considering.

I, maybe like others, had always been under the impression that when Mt Vesuvius erupted (8km away) all those years ago (it was actually 24th August 79AD) Pompeii had been covered in the lava which had spilt out from the volcano. WRONG! The first thing I learnt was that in fact, it was ash and pumice that covered the city. Pompeii was home to approximately 11,000 – 11,500 people at the time.

Pompeii Rediscovered

It wasn’t under the 16th century that the city was rediscovered. In 1748 the exploration of the site began by order of the King of Naples Charles III of Bourbon. Excavation continued until the nineteenth century. Even when we visited recently certain parts of the city are closed due to continual restoration work. Pompeii was originally a port town on the Sarno River. However, now following the eruption it now stands on a spur formed by the lava inland.

Pompeii is one of Italy’s most famous tourist destinations. Over 2.5 million people visiting every year. It is located 24km from Naples and 26km from Sorrento (where we were staying). It obtained UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. We took an organised trip from our hotel with Acampora Travel. We had a great tour guide called Ugo. The cost per adult was £39.50 (this also included transport to Mt Vesuvius later in the day. This did not include the entrance fee (€11) which you have to pay on arrival. The money goes directly to the Italian government.

Audio Guide

The cost of the excursion also included an audio guide. The audio guide allows you to listen to your guide as you wander around the ruins of well preserved Pompeii. Within a limited distance of course. This gave us the freedom to snap pictures at our leisure whilst still listening to the information our guide Ugo was giving us about each building/street/structure etc. I personally recommend an audio tour because the site is so big (66 ha, of which approximately 45 ha has been excavated) that I’m sure many people have got lost and/or not really understood what it is that they are looking at(?). If you do decide to go it on your own don’t forget to pick up a guide and map from the entrance.

Pompeii is amazing. The ruins of this city which were lost almost 2,000 years ago are a sight to behold. Because structures, artefacts and bodies are so well-preserved it has given archaeologists and historians the ability to determine what each building was and how the Roman’s lived at the time. A great morning well spent with our camera. There are a few restaurants and of course the obligatory souvenir stalls just outside the old city walls. Perfect if you want to grab lunch or a reminder of your day.

If you decide to visit don’t forget to wear sensible shoes. This is because no matter how well preserved Pompeii is, the roads and pathways underfoot are very uneven. Also, if the weather is great like it was when we visited I’d advise a bottle of water, hat and sunscreen too as there isn’t much shelter from the hot Italian sun.