Pompeii

We LOVED our tour of Pompeii today! Two hours didn’t feel like enough time to fully explore all of it. Pompeii was a thriving metropolis of 170 acres with running water throughout the city and hundreds of shops and homes. It was buried by boulders and mud after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 72 AD.  The preservation of the area is amazing with bricks, stones and painted walls still intact throughout.

Pompeii was originally located along a river, but the explosion in 72 AD completely changed the landscape. The picture below is the entry to the city which was originally a port that went straight to the sea.

The walls are painted with pictures of what the rooms were used for. This is a painting on the wall of the public baths with “advertising” for the services offered along the top row (zoom in 😉)

The stone and brick is original throughout the area. The colors are vivid and seem to be unaffected by the elements. Glass mosaic tiles were used for extra decoration and religious pictures.

This room was a spa/steam room. The double layered floor was intentional for hot water to boil underneath while steam rose into the room. 

This picture is a pool with an oven underneath for heating.

A shop selling soup or food from pots set into the counter to keep hot.

Original tile and brick decorating the outside of a home.

The Forum was the center of the city. These views are each end of the space.

The floor of the Forum was terracotta tile slabs (original)

In the mid-1800’s Pompeii was discovered and excavated. One of the archaeologists realized there were open spaces with the mud throughout the city, each filled with human bones. Plaster was poured into the holes and the shapes of the citizens of Pompeii as they were buried could be seen and preserved. The person below seems to be covering the face while sitting in place.

The original groove in the cement at the base of the entry indicates this was a shop because the doors slid open and closed. Homes had doors that swung open. The cement is original and the mixture has sustained centuries of wear and tear.

Pompeii was a large city with streets that covered 170 acres

Painted walls in a large home

Pompeii had running water throughout the city through lead pipes. Ore was mined from the mountains to create the pipes surrounding the area. Water supply and pressure was managed with a series of pipes and buckets.