Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Museo Archeologico Nazionale (
Click here
)
. Valuable on-site remainders include a
beautiful, geometrically patterned marble floor.
A couple of blocks away, the
Casa del Poeta Tragico
(House of the Tragic Poet) fea-
tures one of the world's first 'Beware of the Dog' (
Cave Canem
) warnings. To the north,
the
Casa dei Vettii
on Via di Mercurio is home to a famous depiction of Priapus whose
oversized phallus balances on a pair of scales…much to the anxiety of many a male ob-
server.
Villa dei Misteri
From the Casa del Fauna, follow the road west and turn right into Via Consolare, which
past
Villa di Diomede
and you'll come to the 90-room Villa dei Misteri, one of the most
complete structures left standing in Pompeii. The dionysiac frieze, the most important
fresco still on site, spans the walls of the large dining room. One of the largest paintings
from the ancient world, it depicts the initiation of a bride-to-be into the cult of Dionysus,
the Greek god of wine. A farm for much of its life, the villa's own vino-making area is
still visible at the northern end.
If travelling to the
scavi
(ruins) by Circumvesuviana train (€2.80 from Naples, €2.10
from Sorrento), alight at Pompeii-Scavi-Villa dei Misteri station, located beside the main
entrance at Porta Marina. Signs direct those arriving by car from the A3 to the
scavi
.
PREPARING FOR POMPEII
If visiting Pompeii's ruins in summer, bring a hat, sun block and plenty of water. If you've got small
children, try to visit in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun's not too hot. Unfortunately,
there's not much you can do about the uneven surfaces, which are a challenge for strollers. To do justice
to the place, allow at least three or four hours, longer if you want to go into detail. And don't forget to
bring a passport or ID card to claim discounts or to hire an audioguide.
Mt Vesuvius
Offline map
(
www.parconazionaledelvesuvio.it
;
adult/reduced €8/5; 9am-6pm Jul & Aug, to 5pm
Apr-Jun & Sep, to 4pm Mar & Oct, to 3pm Nov-Feb, ticket office closes 1hr before the
VOLCANO
