After Rome, we made our way to Napoli in early October, or Naples, for the home crowd. Napoli is quite different from Rome. For starters, it’s a little grittier and looks well-worn. Napoli is located beside the Bay of Naples, and in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. You can see Vesuvius from almost everywhere. Sound familiar? In 79 A.D., Mt. Vesuvius ended life for thousands of people and buried several towns. Most notably, Ercolano (Herculaneum), and its more famous neighbor, Pompeii.

I actually enjoyed Napoli a lot. It’s the birthplace of pizza (reportedly at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, the world’s oldest pizzeria), has been continuously inhabited since the Greeks settled in the area in the second millennium B.C., and is the third largest city in Italy. Many refer to Napoli as the New York City of Italy and it does have some of that vibe.

Mt. Vesuvius

Typical street scene on a rainy day.

The Italians LOVE nice body parts!

The goddess of abundance, Regalia of Artemis Ephesia.

Pan was always chasing after Dionysis.

When Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., it ended a lifestyle along the Italian coast we can only dream of today. Imagine if Santa Barbara or Pacific Palisades was suddenly consumed and buried within a matter of a few short days. Romans and their slaves who did not heed the evacuation warnings were buried alive and captured for eternity in their final pose. Unlike the Hollywood version, the mountain rumbled to life and the Romans did issue evacuation orders. Unfortunately, many stayed behind thinking prayer would save them. Along with those who lost their lives, entire towns were buried and frozen in time. Pompeii is the most famous, but Herculaneum is where some of the most intimate, well-preserved items were recovered. Jewelry that one could wear today, glassware, statuary, mosaics, wall paintings - all of it preserved instantly.

Well-preserved mosaic depicting chickens.

These four columns are reportedly the only four of their type known to exist on Earth.

Fish mosaics were common along the coast.

This glass vase might be usable today.

Jewelry one could wear today!

Herculaneum was rediscovered later than Pompeii, and is a much smaller archaeological site than Pompeii. Much more of Pompeii has been excavated. Locals sometimes hope the archaeologists don’t take an interest in a particular area. We were visiting Bosco de Medici Winery and along our tour I noticed a very large pit. In the pit you could see ruins of buildings and mosaics. When I asked our guide, she said that Pompeii was still buried under their ranch! Their property line was right against the famous stadium at Pompeii (the amphitheatre) on which most modern sports arenas base their design to this day.

Herculaneum may be a smaller excavation, but it is powerfully moving. If you are in Naples, it is worth your time to visit this site. One thing you notice right away, is that the modern city of Ercolano is literally on top of old Ercolano and right up to the edges of the dig site.

Note the laundry hanging from the modern apartments built atop the ancient city.

Painstaking restoration work.

A beautiful villa garden.

A mosaic family altar.

Well-preserved wall paintings.

Romans originated fast food. This is a “to go” counter.

Always evacuate when you are told to do so.

A beautiful, recovered pot greets you at the entrance of the dig site.

When the Romans went to their seaside villas, they really enjoyed the good life. Notably, in the local brothels. Both Herculaneum and Pompeii had notorious adult areas for men and women to partake of various sexual indulgences. These areas were very well marked, usually by a penis. From building markings, to interior goods and wall art, the penis ruled.

Note the plaque near the top of the door.

Not directional signs!

The god Priapus with his large…tool.

Pompeii is a full day’s excursion, or more, to really “dig” into the history and enjoy all it has to offer. The first thing you notice is the shear scale of the city. You really are traipsing through an unearthed city with streets, buildings, houses, parks - you name it! Pompeii was rediscovered in the 16th century, however, it wasn’t until 1748 that excavation and exploration began. For the most part, Pompeii was undisturbed for 1,669 years. There are numerous villas to see and a few that really stand out are the House of the Faun, the House of the Vettii (owned by two brothers), the Villa of Mysteries, and then of course the public spaces such as the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Apollo, and the very, very famous Amphitheatre of Pompeii. The football stadium at Yale is modeled after this amphitheatre, as are most sports complexes around the world to this day.