A Walk Back in Time in Pompeii, Italy

19 July 2003  Pompeii, Italy

Mt Vesuvius behind the ruins of Pompeii

In July of 2003 during an exciting 2 1/2 week tour of Italy, I went on a half day tour of Pompeii.  This ancient city was destroyed in 79 AD when the mighty Mt Vesuvius erupted. At the time, Pompeii was a thriving Roman city with 11,000 inhabitants but once the volcano erupted all life stopped abruptly as it was buried under 13 to 20 feet of ash. It was a haunting yet fascinating walk back in time to see the city today just as it was almost 2000 years ago. 

The city gate to Pompeii

The city of Pompeii lay hidden from the world buried under tons of ash for over 1500 years before it was discovered in 1599. The buildings that lay beneath the ash have been well-preserved for centuries because of the lack of air and moisture, providing tourists today a remarkable live history book. 

A street in Pompeii shows how remarkably intact everything is.

An oven in a bakery gives a glimpse into 1st century life

Among the ruins that we saw on our guided tour were a basilica, the forum, a bakery, a shop and a rich man's house. The most impressive and complete building we saw was a spa with hot and cold tubs for the inhabitants of the day to relax in. There were beautiful and colorful murals on the ceiling and ornate statues on the walls. It was one of the only structures that still had a roof so there were many stray dogs inside trying to stay out of the extreme summer Italian heat.

Beautiful artwork on the spa ceiling

Beautiful artwork in a house in Pompeii

The most eerie sights of Pompeii were the cast molds of actual people who died as a result of the eruption. Because they were covered in ash, once their bodies decayed there was an exact replica within the ash. When archaeologists discovered this, they poked a hole and filled the space in the ash with a substance that created a perfect mold of the deceased just as they were when they perished. There was a pregnant lady trying to protect her baby, a little boy covering his mouth trying to breath and a poor dog who was probably stray.   

Cast of a deceased boy

Cast of a deceased pig

Touring Pompeii was an amazing walk back in time and our tour guide Aldo, who was very knowledgeable on the subject, did a great job of taking us back to the way life was in the 1st century. Although we saw a lot in our half day at Pompeii, Aldo explained that the ruins of Pompeii are so huge that if we compare it to the size of an envelope, we only saw the size of a postage stamp.    

Pompeii from outside the city wall

Visiting Pompeii was an enriching experience for me and one I will never forget.  It was a vivid reminder of how quickly things can change and at the same time a glimpse into a time vastly different than our lives today. If anyone has a chance to go, I highly recommend it!

Me at the huge Mt Vesuvius crater

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my entry from this Traveling Travel Agent's travels.  I am a travel agent because I love to travel and I love helping other people discover our big beautiful world! If you want to learn more about my travel agency and the services we provide, visit us at www.PurplePalmVacations.com. Happy Travels!