{"id":14031,"date":"2019-06-09T19:57:58","date_gmt":"2019-06-09T17:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/?p=14031"},"modified":"2021-05-24T08:32:41","modified_gmt":"2021-05-24T06:32:41","slug":"pompeii-herculaneum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/it\/pompeii-herculaneum\/","title":{"rendered":"Pompeii and Herculaneum: Two Cities Buried in Ash"},"content":{"rendered":"

After roaming the great city of Naples<\/a>, you can spot the differences between sfogliatella<\/em> riccia<\/em> and frolla<\/em>, know what \u201cSpacca Napoli\u201d means, and can talk for days about the \u201cblood miracle\u201d of Saint Januarius. But there\u2019s one more thing in the area that you certainly must see: visit the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum from Naples<\/a><\/strong>. These two ancient Roman cities were buried in ash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 and are considered among the most important archeological sites in the world. Both Pompeii and Herculaneum are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and were both preserved in a state \u201csuspended in time,\u201d as the cities were catastrophically destroyed rather than abandoned over the centuries \u2013 everything stood still that night, making them one-of-a-kind, fascinating places to see today.<\/p>\n

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Fresco in the House of the Marine Venus | Image by travelspot from Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Pompeii: What to see and do there <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pompeii was among the largest and most magnificent cities during the Roman era; due to its healthy climate and pleasant scenery, it was a popular holiday destination for the Roman elite. Now, the city sleeps under volcanic dust and remains incredible evidence of the ancient lifestyle.<\/p>\n

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A street in Pompeii | Image from Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Start your visit at the Porta Marina entrance and head to the Forum<\/strong>, which was Pompeii\u2019s commercial, political and religious center. This was the place where all the public debates and religious events were held, the real beating heart of the city. At the center of the area you\u2019ll find the Temple of Jupiter<\/strong> \u2013 the most important temple of ancient Pompeii. Although its name stems from the most prominent of the Latin pagan gods, it was also a site of worship for the gods Juno and Minerva. Three large statues of these three gods once graced the front of the temple, while the original frescoed walls depicted the stories and legends surrounding the three pagan figures. The site was partially destroyed during an earthquake and was still under construction at the time of the eruption.<\/p>\n