My visit to the ruins of Pompeii, a Greek city from the 6th centuty BC, conquered by Rome in 80 BC. The city was catastrophically destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. Most of the cities population of 20 thousand died from its poisonous gases as the city was buried under 6 to 7 meters of ash and stone. This preserved the city quite intact, much of which wasn't excavated until the 20th century.
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Arriving at the train station in "New Pompeii", one cannot miss the 5 story belltower of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. |
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Began in 1876, it was completed in 1939, with its renowned image where many miracles have occurred through Our Lady's intercession. Note the architecture is Ionic on the lower half and Corinthian on the upper. |
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The venerated image of the Virgin of the Rosary above the main altar. |
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The shrine is the result of the work of Blessed Bartolo Longo, himself a convert from satanism, who almost single-handedly converted the town of Pompeii (which had only 500 people in 1872) while working to help the many poor and orphans. He and his wife are buried in the Church. |
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A view of the Cathedral from near the entrance to the ruins. |
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Arriving at the amphitheater, built in 80 BC. |
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It is one of the oldest amphitheaters to still exist. |
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In the shape of an ellipse, 135 x 104 meters, which held 12,000 spectators. |
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It even had an awning to protect the spectators from the sun and rain. |
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The nearby Palesta - the training ground for the athletes, a 130 x 140 meter rectangle. |
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In the center of the Palesta, there was even a large swimming pool. |
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The house of Loreius Tiburtinus, |
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The Thermopolium of Asellina, a typical bar where hot and cold drinks were sold. The city was famous for its wine, which the residents consumed in great quantities. |
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The floors of this home are covered with mosaics. This entranceway must be saying: beware of the dog. |
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Part of a military organization / school / armory. |
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Many of the homes had fountains, shrines, gardens and courtyards, besides painted walls and ceilings, and often marble too - quite well to do. |
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A typical shrine to one of the gods which would be found in most homes. |
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After a while many of houses and ruins run together - yet each one is unique. |
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This businessman had a Latin phrase in the floor of his entrance way: Salve Lucru - Business (or Money!) Welcome |
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The Stabian Baths, with a large gym in the center, besides baths, it had a sauna and swimming pool. |
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A wall covered with lovely stucco decorations. |
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The large theater, constructed with Greek architecture between 200 and 150 BC. The bleachers (now mostly gone) held 5000 people and could be completely covered. |
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The little theater nearby, built between 80 and 75 BC, is one of the best preserved examples of ancient theaters. |
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This grandiose portico was a meeting place for the numerous spectators of the Large Theater. |
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In Nero's time it was converted into a gladiators' barracks, and many fascinating weapons were found here. |
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The mosaic at the entrance of this house shows a wild boar being attacked by two dogs. Also not the large portico with a garden. |
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The Forum, hear of the political, religious and social life of Pompeii. |
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A rectangular square 38 x 142 meters, it was surrounded by various public buildings and temples. |
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The columns surrounding the forum formed a large arcade. |
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The Basilica, or meeting hall, used by the Tribunal court and other public meetings. It was 24 x 55 meters, with 28 huge brick columns seen here. It probably is pre-Roman, constructed about 120 BC. |
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The Temple of Apollo, which dates from the 6th century BC. The stairs lead up to 6 columns which formed the front of the temple. The bronze statue show Apollo as an archer. |
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The Marcellum, a covered market for food alongside the Forum, with its marble columned portico (porch). |
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Inside the Forum baths, this is the "tepidarium", a room between the hot and cold baths. It has a stucco barrel vault ceiling, and niches in the walls adorned with terra cotta. |
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Let a sleeping dog lie. Look how perfectly preserved these ancient Roman dogs are, looking for a nap in the shade. Plus its a good example of what the streets looked like - all original. |
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The "Great Fountain", hard to see here, is decorated with mosaics. |
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The house of Pansa, rented our as apartments, has a large pool, spacious living room, and orchard in the back. |
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The walls of this home were decorated with various hunting scenes. |
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A monumental mural painting of Venus, on a seashell escorted by cupids. Well preserved, it was discovered in 1952. |
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A glimpse into one of the homes with a nice colonnade. |
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The tombs of the graveyard (Necropolis) with its many tombs and monuments. |
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A picture of one of the many storehouses of items discovered in the excavations. Plaster casts would be made of the cavities left of the bodies enclosed in the hard shell of ash and stones. |
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A view of the modern city of new Pompeii, and a reminder that Mount Vesuvius still lurks it the background (it last erupted in 1944). |
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