|
POMPEIThe city of Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei.
Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area, was mostly destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The people and buildings of Pompeii were covered in up to twelve different layers of tephra, which rained down for about 6 hours. History
Founded in the seventh or sixth century BC by the Osci, it was captured by the Romans in 80 BC. By the time of its destruction, 160 years later, its population was probably approximately 20,000, with a complex water system, an amphitheatre, gymnasium and a port. The eruption was cataclysmic for the town. The site was lost for about 1500 years until its initial rediscovery in 1599 Explore Pompeii with Googel Earth
Rediscovered
Pompeii was rediscovered as the result of intentional excavations in 1748 by the Spanish military engineer Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre. Giuseppe Fiorelli took charge of the excavations in 1863. During early excavations of the site, occasional voids in the ash layer had been found that contained human remains. It was Fiorelli who realized these were spaces left by the decomposed bodies and so devised the technique of injecting plaster into them to recreate the forms of Vesuvius's victims. This allowed one to see the exact position the person was in when he or she died. The excavated city offers a snapshot of Roman life in the 1st century, frozen at the moment it was buried. The forum, the baths, many houses, and some out-of-town villas like the Villa of the Mysteries remain well preserved. Details of everyday life are preserved. Other houses provide details concerning professions and categories. The large number of well-preserved frescoes provide information on everyday life and have been a major advance in art history of the ancient world, with the innovation of the Pompeian Styles (First/Second/Third Style). The objects that lay beneath the city have been well preserved for centuries because of the lack of air and moisture. These artifacts provide an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city during the Pax Romana. Pliny the Younger
Pliny the Younger provided a first-hand account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius from his position across the Bay of Naples at Misenum, in a version which was written 25 years after the event. His uncle, Pliny the Elder, with whom he had a close relationship, died while attempting to rescue stranded victims. As Admiral of the fleet, Pliny the Elder had ordered the ships of the Imperial Navy stationed at Misenum to cross the bay to assist evacuation attempts. Erotic Frescos A large collection of erotic votive objects and frescoes were found at Pompeii. Many were removed and kept until recently in a secret collection at the University of Naples. In 1819, when King Francis I of Naples visited the Pompeii exhibition at the National Museum with his wife and daughter, he was so embarrassed by the erotic artwork that he decided to have it locked away in a secret cabinet, accessible only to "people of mature age and respected morals". Re-opened, closed, re-opened again and then closed again for nearly 100 years, it was briefly made accessible again at the end of the 1960s (the time of the sexual revolution) and was finally re-opened for viewing in 2000. Tourism Pompeii has been a popular tourist destination for over 250 years; it was on the Grand Tour. By 2008, it was attracting almost 2.6 million visitors per year, making it one of the most popular tourist sites in Italy. It is part of a larger Vesuvius National Park and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. The sections of the ancient city open to the public are extensive, and tourists can spend several days exploring the whole site. |
Numbers
UNESCO SITEThe Archaeological Areas of Pompei, together with Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata is listed in
World Heritage Site by UNESCO OFFICIAL SITEClick here to open the official site for opening hours, tickets...
OPS!The eruption occurred on August 24, just one day after Vulcanalia, the festival of the Roman god of fire, including that from volcanoes
PLINIAN EVENTSVolcanologists have recognised the importance of Pliny the Younger's account of the eruption by calling similar events "Plinian".
|
DISCLAIMER
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Attribution. wikipedia.org
Top banner image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Mentnafunangann
Columns image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Norbert Nagel
Street image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Attribution: Fisticuffs
Human Body image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Attribution: Dave & Margie Hill / Kleerup
Pliny statue image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Wolfgang Sauber
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Attribution. wikipedia.org
Top banner image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Mentnafunangann
Columns image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Norbert Nagel
Street image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Attribution: Fisticuffs
Human Body image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Attribution: Dave & Margie Hill / Kleerup
Pliny statue image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Wolfgang Sauber