Pompeii Visiting a revelatory experience
Royal Ontario Museum puts on a good show, but nothing matches a visit to the actual site
POMPEII, ITALY— The story of how the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD buried Pompeii and its inhabitants in ash is already familiar to many. An exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum — Pom
peii: In the Shadow of the Volcano, open till Jan. 3 — is renewing interest in this ancient tragedy.
A movie of the same name, released last year and starring Kit Harington and Kiefer Sutherland, has also piqued public curiosity.
The truth, however, is neither can match the revelatory experience of visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site, located near Naples.
While Pompeii may not hold enough allure to warrant a special trip to Italy, it is definitely worth a day trip from Rome. There are 34 direct trains daily from Rome to Central Station in Naples. From there, hop on the regional Circumvesuviana train and get off at the Pompeii Scavi station.
You will be steps away from the site’s entrance. Follow the same route if you are docking at Naples on a Mediterranean cruise.
If you are visiting the Amalfi coast, it is just a 30minute train ride from Sorrento.
What to see Temple of Apollo The first substantial structure you see upon entering from Porta Marina is the Temple of Apollo, with a bronze statue of the god standing in front of the porticos. The sun god was one of the most important gods for ancient Pompeians. Behind the Temple of Apollo, you will find the Temple of Jupiter and facing it is the Temple of Venus. Add the Tower of Mercury to the right and you will find our solar system pretty well-represented.
The Lupanar (Brothel)
Perhaps the most visited building among the ruins, it is, ironically, situated just one block behind the imposing religious temples of the forum. There are 10 small rooms, each with a stone bed. Paintings of erotic scenes adorn the walls. Love and sex were not considered taboo subjects in Pompeii and many ordinary houses had rooms that were decorated with erotic frescoes. Phallic symbols were also used to adorn household items, such as lamps. Some of these artifacts can be seen in the Sex in the City section at the ROM exhibition.
The House of the Faun
This expansive villa is named after the bronze statue of a dancing faun found at the entrance’s fountain. Bronze statues from Roman times are rare commodities these days because many were melted down for the precious metal. Such was not the case in Pompeii, as the ash and pumice that buried the town kept the bronze sculptures safe until archeologists began their systemic excavation in the late 18th century.
Villa dei Misteri
Do you paint the walls of your home? The Pompeians did and in grand style. You may not realize this from the framed fresco paintings at the museum, but many houses in Pompeii had entire rooms decorated with paintings on the wall. The newly restored Villa dei Misteri, reopened this spring, is one of the best examples with a 17-metre-long and three-metre-high fresco depicting no less than 28 life-size figures in 10 different scenes.
Via dell ’Abbondanza
The Road of Abundance. This was the central shopping boulevard for the town. The street is lined on both sides by bakers, tailors, potters, goldsmiths, blacksmiths and more. It is one thing to see the tools of trade in a museum exhibition, and a totally different experience to walk down the street where these stores did brisk business 2,000 years ago.
Amphitheatre
The literal translation of amphitheatre is “the space for the spectators that runs all around the arena.” The Pompeian Amphitheatre is the oldest of all existing buildings of its kind. Seating 20,000 people in three tiers, it could have accommodated every single resident of the town. From time to time, concerts are still held here. Arguably, the most classic performance of recent time was the concert film Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii, shot over four days in October 1971.
Archaeological Museum of Naples
Visiting the archeological site in Pompeii is the only way one can truly appreciate the remarkable story. However, as with any historical site, precious artifacts must be removed for their security. Most of the treasures are now housed in the Archaeological Museum of Naples, including the colourful mosaic of Alexander the Great from the House of Faun. There are also many beautiful smaller household items, offering you an even greater insight into the life of a Roman town in 79 AD. The many framed frescoes make you feel as though you are in an art gallery. Hours: 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (closed Tuesdays). Tickets and info at: cir.campania.beniculturali.it.
Practical Tips Avoid the morning rush Most organized tours, especially those servicing cruise passengers from Naples, tend to arrive between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., and the queues at the ticket booths can get annoyingly long.
Once inside, these slow-moving groups will crowd around all major points of interest. Go earlier — the site opens at 8:30 a.m. year round — or after an early lunch at 1 p.m. The site closes at 7:30 p.m. in the summer through early fall (till Oct. 31) and at 5 p.m. in the winter months. Unless you are a history buff, a three-hour visit should suffice.
Do you need a guide?
As you approach the entrance, tour guides will offer their services. Two hours with a licensed guide costs between € 75 and € 100 ($110-$147 Canadian) and you can split the cost among fellow travellers. For larger groups, this is probably the best option. The guides are generally quite knowledgeable and have been known to throw in a few stories of their own to make your visit more interesting.
For those who prefer a more independent experience, an audio guide can be rented for € 5 ($7). Make sure you get the corresponding map as each stop is numbered according to that map.
A number of iPhone apps are also available. Pompeii — A Day in the Past ($3.49) has seven itineraries ranging from two hours to a full day. The routes, maps, photos and audio guide are all available offline too. Your € 13 ($19) entrance fee comes with a free map and brief guide. You can download them anytime from the official site.
Website: Pompeiisite.org. Pompeii: In the Shadow of the Volcano runs until Jan. 3 at the Royal Ontario Museum. Tickets and info at rom.on.ca.