Historic Places of Pompeii

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1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - Historic Places of Pompeii One of the most visited places in Italy, Pompeii is a prosperous ancient city of merchants that in 79 AD was buried under ashes and cinders from Vesuvius volcano. Because of that disaster, many fragments of antiquity were preserved and are now brought back to life. Don't hesitate to spend a few hours of your time to explore the historic places and the open-air museum of Pompeii. Guide Location: Italy» Pompei # of Attractions: 11 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 3.2 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the ios app "Pompei Map and Walks" on itunes App Store and the Android app "Pompei Map and Walks" on Google Play. The apps provide GPS navigation to guide you from one tour stop to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Pompei. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit gpsmycity.com for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) House of the Vettii B) House of the Faun C) Forum D) Temple of Vespasian E) Basilica F) Ancient Walls G) Building of Eumachia H) Theater I) Great Palaestra J) Amphitheater K) Circumvesuviana Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

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3 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 - A) House of the Vettii (must see) The House of the Vettii is a mansion built around a central open space, and was once one of Pompeii s most luxurious residences. It is particularly well preserved, featuring many exceptional wall frescoes. This suggests that it was constructed and decorated between the earthquake of 62 AD, which damaged many of the Roman city s buildings, and the 79 AD volcanic eruption that buried it altogether. It is named after its owners Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus. Both are believed to have been freed slaves that subsequently amassed a large fortune. Visitors will enter the mansion through a darkened atrium. You can see the servants quarters off to one side, built around a smaller atrium. In the entrance foyer, there is an almost life size image of Priapus, the Roman god of fertility. Priapus features heavily in frescoes all over Pompeii often appearing in graphic images which have led to repeated attempts to censor the original artwork. At the centre of the complex stands a peristyle, an open air garden space flanked by Doric columns. Symmetrical in design, it once contained several marble fountains and sculptures of mythological figures. The walls, as with many of the rooms, are lined with several ornate frescoes, framed in red and yellow paint, as is common throughout the buildings of Pompeii. Address: House of Vetti, Pompei, Italy Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 -

4 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 - Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Jan Arkesteijn B) House of the Faun (must see) Casa del Fauno, or the House of the Faun, was built in the Samnite period, at least 100 years before the volcanic eruption which consumed Pompeii. Largely ruined by the two earthquakes, which preceded the eruption, it has been preserved to represent the scale and layout of a Roman mansion. It is known as the House of the Faun due to the discovery of a bronze statue on the edge of an impluvium a basin used to collect rainwater for drinking and bathing. The statue depicts a dancing faun a small, mythical creature believed to roam the wild woodlands that were once common across southern Europe. The original sculpture is housed in Naples National Archaeological Museum, but the exact replica of it is now found in the centre of the basin. The house covers three thousand square metres, occupying an entire block of the ancient city. It is divided into five sections four built around atriums and peristyles, and a network of service rooms. Look out for two other notable artworks in the complex. Firstly, the mosaic spelling out HAVE (a popular Roman greeting) at the entrance, and, secondly, a replica of a detailed mosaic inside the house, that depicts Alexander the Great s victory at the Battle of Issus in 333 BC. Address: House of Faun, Pompeii, Itali Image Courtesy of Flickr and Ben Demey C) Forum (must see) The Forum, a feature present in many Roman settlements, was a public space found at the centre of Pompeii. It stands in the middle of a square, which contains several of the town s most significant buildings. From the southern end of the forum, moving clockwise, there are the Basilica, the Temple of Apollo, the grain and food markets, the sanctuary, the temple of Vespasian, the building of Eumachia, and the Comitium. It is safe to assume that the Forum was at one time the centre of Pompeii. It stands on the junction of two Roman roads, linking Pompeii with Naples and the nearby settlement of Stabiae. However, within the preserved ruins of Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 -

5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - the city, the Forum is found towards the outskirts. This is believed to be due to large scale development in the 2nd century BC, which moved the city centre away from the Forum. Now a square of grass, the Forum area appears to have undergone many changes during the history of Pompeii. Prior to the earthquake in 62 AD, the floor was receiving an upgrade it is still partially paved with travertine. It is thought that a market was held in the middle of the open space. There are also a number of marble bases missing the statues that should sit upon them, and a half finished suggestum the Roman equivalent of a soapbox for public speaking. Address: Forum of Pomeii, Pompeii, Italy Image Courtesy of Flickr and Argenberg D) Temple of Vespasian This temple, dedicated to the Imperial Cult, faces the Forum Emperor. There is a sculptured white marble altar in the Temple of Vespasian that depicts a bull being led to sacrifice. On the sides of this altar appear items used by the priests in worship. These articles can be identified by some religious leaders today as things used in modern worship in some churches. On the back side of this altar, in the Temple of Vespasian, there is a depiction of a circular wreath. Address: Altar at the Temple of Vespasian, Pompeii, Italy Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Wknight94 E) Basilica (must see) The Basilica stands on the left hand side of a large square, which has the Forum at its centre. It is the oldest Roman Basilica ever discovered, and has stood here since the 2nd century BC. This was one of Pompeii s most important buildings, housing the town s law courts, as well as halls for commercial and financial transactions. The main entrance was located on one of the building s two short sides, behind a portico. The portico contains 28 columns, which are made of cut tiles. There is some debate over whether these thick columns held a complete roof, or whether the centre of the building was open to the elements. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - Immediately next to the entrance is where the tribunal, or law court, still stands. Dominating one side of the Basilica building, it consists of a two metre high podium originally topped with six Corinthian columns. There are no stairs down from the podium, suggesting that temporary steps were used for judges to access it, preventing members of the public from reaching them whilst passing judgment. The outside walls of the Basilica are made of painted stucco, much of which has been preserved by the ash falls which buried the city in 79 AD. Address: Basilica of Pompeii, Pompeii, Italy Image Courtesy of Flickr and Paul and Jill F) Ancient Walls The great goal of Pompeii's protection of citizens was to built walls around the city in order to keep enemies out and feel safe. Nowadays, due to these walls city seems to be more attractive and very ancient and involves a mass of tourists to come. Address: Ancient Walls, Pompeii, Italy Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Wknight94 G) Building of Eumachia The Building of Eumachia is found on the eastern side of the Forum. An elegant, well preserved house, it can be identified by an ornate carved marble frieze around the entrance. Two inscriptions found within the building show that it was owned by Eumachia, a local priestess of Venus. Eumachia was also a successful business owner, having inherited a wool production company from her husband. It is believed that this building may have housed a factory, producing wool and cloth for the entire city. Others argue that due to Eumachia s status as a priestess, it may have been used as a place of worship. The building dates back to the Tiberian age of Rome. It has a façade with two apses, and four rectangular niches which once housed statues. Two further statues were housed in a colonnade at the centre of the house. In the style of many grand Roman residences, it surrounded an open air Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -

7 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 - peristyle, or courtyard. The statues depict the Concordia Augusta, the wife of Augustus Caesar, and Eumachia herself. These figures, combined with the known history of Eumachia and the building she commissioned, show the influence and respect afforded to many successful women in the Roman era. Address: Building of Eumachia, Pompeii, Italy Image Courtesy of Flickr and steeljam H) Theater (must see) Pompeii s theatre was known as the Large Theatre during its use, to differentiate it from the Odeion, a nearby arena. The theatre was built in the 2nd century BC in the style of ancient Greek amphitheatres. Set in a natural indentation in the land, the theatre features tiered stone seating on sloping sides, leading to a central horseshoe shaped performance area. During the reign of Augustus Caesar the theatre reached its peak, being refurbished and extended by the Holconius brothers. They were rich wine growers from the region, and fitted the rows of seating with marble tops. Following the earthquake in 62AD the theatre was damaged, and the marble was removed. The stage had to be rebuilt, and a grand façade was added, complete with columns and statues. The Holconius brothers also added an upper circle and two side boxes, which were reserved for guests of honour much like a modern theatre. The Large Theatre could host 5000 people within segregated seating areas. The eldest Holconius brother even had his own reserved seat, inscribed with bronze lettering. Now open to the elements, the theatre was at the time covered by a large canopy, protecting the audience from the Mediterranean sun. The opposite side of the amphitheatre housed dressing rooms and access to the outer courtyard. Address: Theatre of Pompeii, Pompeii, Italy Image Courtesy of Flickr and kperkins14 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 -

8 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 - I) Great Palaestra (must see) The Great Palaestra is a large rectangular building, flanked by porticoes on three sides, with a pool at its centre. Like many buildings in the city, it was commissioned under the empire of Augustus Caesar. It was used as an exercise complex by the youth associations which he set up, a Roman version of the youth branches of political parties we still see today. There was even a room, in the centre of the western portico, set aside for worship of the emperor. Behind the portico, a double row of sycamore trees provided a shaded area for attendees to relax and unwind. The tree roots have been recreated with plaster casts. Like many natural organisms, from plant life to human beings, the roots were buried under the ash layers left by the deadly volcanic eruption, and decomposed. This left behind air pockets which were filled with plaster, creating exact replicas of the tree roots. At the time of the eruption in 79 AD the eastern portals and north wall were being restored, having been damaged in the earthquake of 62 AD. The complex even had toilet facilities a latrine, served by water carried from the pool, can be seen on the south side of the building. Address: Great Palaestra, Pompeii, Italy Image Courtesy of Flickr and TyB J) Amphitheater (must see) The Pompeii Amphitheatre is the oldest building of its kind to have survived from the Roman era. Pompeii houses many of the best preserved examples of Roman architecture, after the city was buried under volcanic ash for almost 2000 years. The Amphitheatre, one of Pompeii s most well known attractions, predates the Coliseum in Rome by over a century. It is believed that the success of the Pompeii Amphitheatre, the first stone arena built within the Roman Empire, was the inspiration for a larger stone-built arena in Rome itself. A circular structure with arches and stairways creating several entrance points, the Amphitheatre is still considered by crowd control analysts to be a near perfectly designed venue. Built around 70 BC, it was initially known as the Spectacula. Paid for by wealthy local statesmen Quinctius Valgus and Marcius Porcius, it was primarily used to host gladiatorial games and ceremonies. Twenty years before the eruption that destroyed Pompeii, games were banned at the Amphitheatre, following a brawl between locals Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 -

9 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 - and residents of nearby Nuceria. In recent years, UK progressive rock band Pink Floyd became the first people for almost two thousand years to perform at the arena, filming a live concert here. Address: Amphitheatre, Pompeii, Italy Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Lord Pheasant K) Circumvesuviana The Circumvesuviana Line is used by many visitors to reach Herculaneum and Pompeii. The complete journey from Sorrento to Naples takes about one hour. Half-way along the line there is a station at Pompeii Scavi, situated about 100 meters from the entrance to the excavations. There are also stops within reasonable walking distance from the Roman city of Herculaneum and the Villa Poppaea. The train passes through several tunnels and bridges and offers scenic views. Address: Circumvesuviana Pompei Santuario, 80045, Italy Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Jensens Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 -