Welcome to Campania, a region of Italy known for Sofia Loren, buffalo mozzarella, Nutella farms and the best pizza in the world. Densely populated cities and zipping Fiats fleck the coastal hills surrounding the region’s notorious Mt. Vesuvius, but beneath the shadow of the volcano lies a civilization untouched by the stamp of time.
Some popular tourist attractions seem overrated, with long lines, kitschy souvenirs and red tape blocking your path just when things start to get interesting.
Pompeii is not one of those places.
As you enter the city, your wildest expectations are soon exceeded. The mere expanse of it is unimaginable: a grand total of 163 acres of pure Ancient Roman ruin. An amphitheater, a bakery, a piazza—all the elements of modern Italian life can be found within this over-sized time capsule, echoing the ancient Roman traditions that have remained with the region for millennia.
Visitors walk around the ruins at will, so intact that you often forget they’re ruins at all and perhaps believe for half a second that you’ve been transported back to Ancient Rome. Most of the walls are still standing, the tops skimmed off long ago
. With or without a guide, you can climb into all the nooks and crannies, pantries and alleyways, even the occasional cellar with hardly any limitations. Explore the entire village, unearthing frescoes, earthenware jugs, ancient ovens, fountains, wells and the other treasures of Pompeii as you go.
Yet the most impressive pieces of the city are the citizens of ancient Pompeii left behind. Morbid as it may seem, it is a humbling experience to see shelf after shelf of the human remains, fortified with plaster to demonstrate their final pose as volcanic ash swept over their hometown. The bodies not only demonstrate the scientific phenomenon of such long-term preservation, but bring the civilization of Pompeii to life, making it more real and emotionally provocative than any other ancient relic to be found in the world.
Though still considered active, the only action Mt. Vesuvius shows nowadays is a little smoke at its peak, occasionally casting a gray fog over Naples and surrounding communities. Yet the 4,203-foot volcano, visible from miles away, serves as a visible reminder of the transient nature of life. One can’t help but think that its presence has molded the people of Campania into the society they are today—a tough, no-nonsense lot with a zest for life and a passion for food, friends and family.
Want to visit the ruins of Pompeii? Check out this itinerary or call 1.888.310.7120 to start planning!