Holiday to Italy in Oct 2020: Pompeii on Thu 08 Oct 2020
The drive was slow as it was yesterday going the other way, but we reached Pompeii Porta Marina entrance at around 10am.
We then farted about trying to secure tickets to get in for the next 45 mins or so. There are third parties offering to sell you tickets and all of them give you the impression that they are official ticket sellers. They insisted on paying by cash with an ATM being available in the ticket hall. However, when the ATM failed to serve out any cash, we were advised to go to the entrance where we paid using a credit card for our tickets. We also managed to get audio guides as well, although that was another story.
Finally, we got inside Pompeii and we had to walk to the other Pompeii entrance (Piazza Anfiteatro) to find another ATM. AT that time we thought we needed cash to pay for the audio guides! In the end we were able to pay with a card!
This is where our tour of Pompeii effectively began due to our diversion to find an ATM. It’s a nice entrance with a proper security check.
Pompeii was not too busy and was as interesting as we had imagined. I focused on taking photos and Vick did the reading and the listening to the audio guide.
Below is a list of the main attractions highlighted on the map above. We started in Region II.
This consists of a large open air square, surrounded by porticoes and enclosed by a high wall with battlements. All that is left of the centuries-old trees that were on the three sides of the great courtyard at the time of the eruption are moulds of the roots. There’s a pool in the centre which has a sloping floor.
This amphitheatre is the oldest among those known from the Roman times and could hold up to 20,000 spectators.
II - 3 - Praedia of Giulia Felice
This garden has a euripus, which creates an idyllic-sacral area. There’s also a spa area, which is richly decorated. Apparently, the house was one of the first to be excavated
There were a number of highlighted attractions which we couldn’t find the entrance to, so we pressed on to Region I.
I - 7 - House of the Menander
This house is a typical example of a home of a high-ranking family. The house owes its name to a picture of Menander, an Athenian playwriter, placed in the portico.
From the House of the Menander, we walked up Via Del Tempo D'Iside and entered Region VIII.
VIII - 8 - Triangular Forum
The Triangular Forum takes its name from its unique shape, preserves one of the oldest sacred areas in the city dating back to the 6th century BC. From this location, a number of other locations in Region VIII are accessible.
The Doric Temple stood on the spur that dominated the bay in which the harbour is located, with a multi-coloured terracotta roof. The layout of the temple and the shape of the columns r eflect a mix of the Greek Doric style and local Campania traditions.
VIII - 10 - Large Theatre
The Large Theatre was built on a natural slope. The staircase was separated into three areas with corridors. These were in turn divided into five sectors comprising a passage and a barrel vault.
VIII - 11 - Gladiators’ Barracks
Behind the Large Theatre there is a quadrangle surrounded by 74 Doric grey tuff columns, where spectators could relax during the shows’ intervals. After the earthquake in 62 AD, it became a barracks for gladiators.
VIII - 12 - Small Theatre - Odeon
The Odeon was built during the early years of the colony (79 BC), requested by two local magistrates, Marcus Porcius and Caius Quinctius Valgus.
From Region VIII, we walked up Via Stabiana into Region VII.
We found a number of small rooms on Vicolo Degli Augustali, which we looked into as we walked along.
That street took us to the bar, where we invested in a coffee and we took the opportunity to sit down briefly and rest our feet. The coffee was not too shabby either.
After coffee we walked south to one of the major areas in Pompeii: The Forum.
Eight openings, separated by brick pillars, stretch on the western side of the Forum. These were used for the fruit and vegetable market. Today they hold more than 9000 artefacts from the excavations in Pompeii.
The Civil Forum was the core of daily life of the city, being the focal point of all city administration and justice, business management and trade activities, as well as being the main place of worship.
From there we headed back to the Porta Marina entrance where we walked past the Sanctuary of Venus, standing resplendent.
Our visit to Pompeii was soon at an end. Overall it was a really interesting place to visit - highly recommended.