Visit Pompeii archaeological site

Walking around the Pompeii archaeological site means visiting the ancient Roman city doomed to be frozen in time by the unexpected eruption of the Vesuvius in 79 AD: an experience you will never forget.

The ancient city of Pompeii was probably founded by the Oscans in the 8th century and eventually conquered first by the Greeks and then by the Etruscans and the Samnites. During the 3rd century BC was conquered by the Romans and its urban structure improved: the Romans built the court, some temples, the cathedral, many houses and villas.

In 62 AD the city endured an earthquake and during the renovation the eruption of the Vesuvius in 79 AD covered it in dust and lava that canceled it.

The first excavations date back to 1748, thanks to Carlo III di Borbone; but the area became an archaeological site soon after the “Unità d’Italia” (when the Italian kingdom was created) thanks to the archaeologist Fiorelli that divided the area in regiones and insulae.

The site is just outside the city of Pompeii, on the Civita hill, and has three gates: Porta Marina (Sea Gate), in via Villa dei misteri; Piazza Esedra, in piazza Porta Marina Inferiore; Piazza Anfiteatro, in piazza Immacolata.

To reach Pompeii by car just drive along the A3 highway and take the exit signposted “Pompei ovest” or “Pompei est”; the exit depends on the direction you come from. Within the area near the site there are several car parks (fee-paying) where you can park your car all day long.

If you travel by train, just take the Napoli-Salerno regional train and get off at Pompeii. From Napoli, you can also take the Napoli-Sorrento Circumvesuviana train that leave from the Napoli central station in Piazza Garibaldi and get off at Pompei-Villa dei misteri. Moreover, there is the Napoli-Scafati-Poggiomarino train that leaves from both Porta Nolana and Piazza Garibaldi in Napoli and gets to Pompei Santuario.

If you travel by bus, you can take the Napoli-Salerno line SITAsud bus that leaves from Napoli or the Salerno-Napoli line SITAsud bus that leaves from Salerno (Via Vinciprova) and get off at Pompei scavi. Moreover, you can also take the CSTP 4 bus that leaves from Salerno (via Vinciprova) and gets to Pompeii.

As you can see on the map, the Pompeii archaeological site is divided in areas named Regio. The visit follows a path that twists and turns among the different Regio, where you can see the residential ville d’otium, the domus that belonged to rich Romans and the pergule, small houses that belonged to the shop keepers.

Right after the ancient Pompeian houses, you can walk around the places dedicated to the public, commercial and political life, such as the Foro di Pompei (Pompeii’s Court), the business core, the three-naves cathedral, several temples, the court’s thermal baths, the Sanctuary of the Public Lares, the triangular Court, the Macellum, that is the city market, the thermopolia where hot food was sold, the Eumachia’s building where the wool was worked, the castellum aquae.

The amphitheatre and the great theatre are particularly interesting, and so are the thermal baths and the Roman gym.

The antiquarium pompeiano, that is the archaeological museum, keeps the finds from both Pompeii and the nearby places, that recreate the daily life of the ancient city.

To have a fully experience of the Pompeii site you should spend several days at the site, but you can still enjoy the most interesting things in just one day.