Forun in the Shadow

Our visit to Pompeii winds up in the massive Forum, seeing a statue of Athena in her temple and then looking out toward the north to see the shape of Vesuvius looming in the morning light.

Vesuvius Victims

Apparently the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD was sudden and showered the city of Pompeii with a dry volcanic ash. Many citizens were found in a sort of mummified state, preserved eerily in place for more than 19 centuries. Today it is just as eerie as it must have been to those who excavated the site.

More Details

Many of the streets of Pompeii are remarkably complete and interesting, as you see here. The detail above is actually a portion of sidewalk; the mosaic was designed to act in place of street lights on moonlit nights, a fascinating concept twenty centuries ago.

Pompeii Details

The details we learned of the Roman city of Pompeii were quite interesting. Here we see one of the lead pipes that provided running water to public and private buildings all over the city. Below is a view of one of the streets. Deep gutters were provided to allow safe runoff of heavy rainfall. The stones crossing the streets allowed pedestrians to walk across without stepping down into the water. Look again: the cross stones were well arranged. Carts, whether pushed by people or pulled by donkeys, could use the street, with wheels fitting between the stepping stones.

Pompeii

Our stop in Sorrento began with a visit to Pompeii, the city that was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. We entered close to the theater and were able to see the classic architecture of the outdoor facility.