Pompeii Things to Do

 39 Reviews  As in Rome, the Forum was the main hub for the temples, courts of law, municipal offices, markets and other structures related to the economic, religious and political life of the city. This is a very... 

 62 Reviews  Mosaics were another means of embellishing walls and floors. Tiny cubes (tesserae) of colored stone, ceramic tile, shells, glass or even gems were cemented into patterns ranging from simple geometrics... 

 31 Reviews  Pompeians were squeaky clean, no doubt about it. There were multiple public baths in Pompeii and a good ol' soak was part of the daily routine. It was a bit of a ritual involving exercise, warm soak,... 

 31 Reviews  In the three terrible days of August 79 AD, when Vesuvius underwent the most destructive period of its activity - three major coastal communities in Campania, namely, Herculaneum, Pompeii and Stabia... 

 60 Reviews  No muddy sandals for the fastidious citizens of Pompeii; they had paved streets. With curbs. And sidewalks. Go figure. The material used for the pavers was usually volcanic basalt; very, very durable... 

 32 Reviews  The people of Pompeii decorated the interior walls of their homes with colorful frescos much like we do with paint, wallpaper and artwork, In the late 19th century, German archeologist August Mau... 

 32 Reviews  This residence is from the Sannitic age, dating to the 2nd century BC. The original of the bronze depicting a FAUN gave the house its name. A mosaic depicting the battle between Alexander and Darius... 

 40 Reviews  This temple is dedicated to Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome and was built by town official Marcus Tullius. Up the first set of steps was the altar, where offerings would have been made to the... 

 22 Reviews  Pompeii's amphitheater was built about 70-80 BC and is the oldest yet discovered. Smaller than the more famous version in Rome, this oval-shaped arena had no underground facilities but did have a... 

 48 Reviews  Pompeians had a lively appreciation for the arts and had two semi-circular theaters for enjoying less violent spectacles than were held at the amphitheater. The larger, open-air version held 5000, had... 

 14 Reviews  Among the many excellently preserved findings of Pompeii, the thick blanket of ash produced by the volcanic eruption conserved for centuries a BAKERY COMPLETE WITH ITS EQUIPMENT: the MILLSTONES... 

 14 Reviews  The building known by the ancient Latin epithet LUPANAR has ten small rooms on two floors. Rooms on the upper floor are more separate from the another and more spacious. Certainly these rooms are... 

 14 Reviews  The Villa of Mysteries was home to a secret religious cult, and as such is located outside the walls of Pompeii. It is the one of the largest villa's here covering 2895sq/m and has over 30 rooms,... 

 10 Reviews  Referred to by one guidebook as Pompeii's "bachelor pad", this villa was owned by two brothers. I think the official "Brief Guide to Pompeii" says it best: "especially noticeable is the figure of... 

 21 Reviews  The Basilica was the oldest and most important public building in Pompeii. In the beginning, it was a covered market, a meeting place; however, during the earthquake of A.D. 62 the roof fell in. It... 

 12 Reviews  This building was incomplete at the moment of the eruption. It presents some unique construction features, starting with the entrance courtyard preceded by a vestibule with portico, at the end of... 

 12 Reviews  A trip to Pompeii would not be complete without a visit to the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. The best collection of frescos, mosaics and pottery from Pompeii can be found there. For more... 

 9 Reviews  The Macelum in Pompeii is an excellent example of a Roman fish market. The circular area would have had a domed roof which would have had a hole in the top of it to allow the smell of the fish to... 

 12 Reviews  The Temple of Jupiter is the most important, and thus prominent, building in the forum. Everyone in the town would visit here frequently to give offerings to the King of the Gods. Much of the grandeur... 

 11 Reviews  This seemingly quiet peak has erupted many times since annihilating Pompeii and Herculaneum. 4000 people perished in a 1631 event, and the last eruption, in 1944, was captured on film. Scientists say... 

 5 Reviews  The Vesuvian Museum, planned by Giovan Battista Alfano and inaugurated on 15 October 1911, preserves an interesting collection of documentary material on the eruptive history of Vesuvius. The Museum... 

 8 Reviews  The purpose of these commonly seen circular receptacles is often mistaken for a function we associated with toilet paper. Not so. They once held containers of wine (called dolia) or food in the... 

 11 Reviews  The Palaestra is the area that would be used for practising things such as boxing and wrestling. The Pompeiian Palaestra is located next to the Amphitheatre, and was built sometime in the Augustan...