About the place you will visit
POMPEII was set on a volcanic plateau overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the valley of the Sarno river. Due to its strategic position it became a thriving commercial center and one of the most powerful cities of Campania region until the catastrophe of 79 A.D. The sudden eruption buried Pompei beneath thick layers of ash and pumice stones, putting an end to its life. Excavations began only in 1748 under the control of the King Charles III of Bourbon, without being planned according to a systematic method: wall paintings and precious objects were seriously damaged if not stolen. A new phase of the digs begun in the second half of the 19th century in accordance with strict scientific methods. Archaeological research is still continuing today with the aim of preserving the remains already found. The ash which suffocated its inhabitants in their desperate attempts to escape has paradoxically preserved to the present day part of the life of this great city, which was once prosperous, bustling with pedestrians and traffic, full of shops, inns, grandiose public buildings, temples and private homes, from the most modest to the most luxurious.
