After a week spent traveling around the Bay of Naples, I was still somewhat baffled by what I had seen at Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the Villa di Poppaea Sabina at Oplontis. To visit all these sites I’d ridden the Circumvesuviana, a privately owned train that runs around the base of Mount Vesuvius. At…
Tag: ruins
PHOTO: Typical Pompeii Street Showing Deep Ruts from Cart Wheels
Click on above photo to view it in large format: Typical Pompeii street shows deep ruts from cart wheels. Carts were forbidden to enter the Forum, perhaps to protect the brilliant white travertine pavement that had been laid down in this large public area that was the focus of political, economic, and religious…
PHOTO: Elaborately Decorated Stabian Baths in Pompeii, Italy
Click on above photo to view it in large format: Intricate frescoes on the walls and vaulted ceiling of the Stabian Baths in Pompeii, the oldest of the bathhouses in the ancient Roman city that was destroyed by the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The walls are decorated with plain white and…
PHOTO: Temple of Vespasian in Pompeii, Italy
Click on above photo to view it in large format: The Temple of Vespasian in Pompeii was dedicated to the Emperor Vespasian, and residents of the city were expected to worship and make sacrifices to him. Elaborate carvings that frame the entrance have been protected by plexiglass.
PHOTO: Temple of Jupiter & Honorary Arch in Pompeii
Click on above photo to view it in large format: Temple of Jupiter and honorary arch form one end of the Forum in Pompeii. Lurking in the background is Mount Vesuvius, with its blown-off top, which erupted in 79 AD and buried the town in ash.
The Secret Erotic Art of Pompeii and Herculaneum
On a fine afternoon in 1752, word reached King Charles III of Bourbon that his royal archeologist, Karl Weber, had discovered a treasure trove at Herculaneum. Sometime earlier, his excavation tunnels had brought to light the luxurious residence that would later be dubbed the Villa of the Papyri, however on that particular day…
