Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
D2
12
Lupanare
B2
13
Macellum
B2
A1
15
Porta Marina
A2
C2
B2
C2
B2
B2
C2
B2
Activities, Courses & Tours
C3
Eating
24
Cafeteria
A2
History
The eruption of Vesuvius wasn't the first disaster to strike the Roman port of Pompeii. In
AD 63 a massive earthquake hit the city, causing widespread damage and the evacuation
of much of the 20,000-strong population. Many had not returned when Vesuvius blew its
top on 24 August AD 79, burying the city under a layer of lapilli and killing some 2000
men, women and children.
The origins of Pompeii are uncertain, but it seems likely that it was founded in the 7th
century BC by the Campanian Oscans. Over the next seven centuries the city fell to the
ancient Greeks and the Samnites before becoming a Roman colony in 80 BC. After its tra-
gic demise, Pompeii receded from the public eye until 1594, when the architect Domenico
Fontana stumbled across the ruins while digging a canal. However, short of recording the
find, he took no further action. Exploration proper began in 1748 under the Bourbon king
Charles VII and continued into the 19th century. In the early days many of the more spec-
tacular mosaics were siphoned off to decorate Charles' palace in Portici; thankfully,
though, most were subsequently moved up to Naples, where they now sit in the Museo
Archeologico Nazionale (
Click here
)
.
