Visiting the excavations of Pompeii: route for the disabled and blind

INDEX:

1. The places that can be visited
2. Information for visiting Pompeii with disabled and blind people
3. Smart bracelet for visiting Pompeii with the blind or visually impaired
4. Wheelchairs for the disabled.

The ruins of Pompeii with its two thousand years of history is one of the oldest archaeological sites in the world.

A site that before 2016 was totally inaccessible to the disabled and visually impaired due to the presence of numerous architectural barriers: cobbled streets, pavements, and height differences.

But thanks to the Pompeii for All project, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii inaugurated in December 2016 a path created and designed to allow those with mobility difficulties, as well as the blind and families with prams, to easily visit the Pompeii excavations.

The ‘Pompeii for All’ route for the disabled and visually impaired starts at the entrance to Piazza Anfiteatro and goes as far as the Sanctuary of Venus.

It is approximately 3.5 km long and takes almost two hours to complete the entire route.

The places that can be visited

With ramps, junctions, special paving and clear signage, it is possible to visit the ancient streets of Pompeii and the main domus with the disabled, such as:

• the house of the Faun
• the house of Menander
• the House of the Lararium of Achilles
• the Forum
• the Forum Baths
• the Sanctuary of Apollo
• the Basilica
• the Great Theatre
• the House of Venus in a Shell, etc. 

Below you can download the map for visiting Pompeii with disabled visitors (POMPEI PER TUTTI), with specific indications of all the monuments that can be seen.

Despite the almost total removal of architectural barriers in Pompeii, it is possible to encounter difficulties along the route for the disabled:

• for the inclination of some ramps that may exceed 8%.
• for the presence of some differences in height of less than 5 cm 
• due to the presence of sections of old paving that are not perfectly parallel
• along the pavements there are no wheel ruts
• in some sections it is not possible for two wheelchairs to pass at the same time

Information for visiting Pompeii with disabled and blind people

Admission to the Pompeii Ruins for disabled people and their companions is free of charge, provided proof of membership in social assistance services is provided.

The free ticket that allows access can be purchased directly on site at the Pompeii Excavations ticket office in Amphitheater Square. Of course, people with disabilities have privileged access to the archaeological excavations.

Entrance to the disabled route starts from Amphitheater Square, while exit can be from either Amphitheater Square or Exedra Square, using the Antiquarium elevator.

Smart bracelet for visiting Pompeii with the blind or visually impaired

In addition to the Pompeii for All route, at the Pompeii excavations it is also possible to use the smart bracelet with me for the visually impaired. The bracelet can be rented from the ticket office in Piazza Anfiteatro and allows the wearer to move around the Pompeii for All route with ease.

Thanks to sensors along the route, the blind person is continuously monitored and can know where he or she is in an emergency, thanks to the SOS button, a GPS module, wi-fi module and Bluetooth.

The bracelet for the blind can also be used as an audio guide.

Wheelchairs for the disabled

The Pompeii excavations allow those with mobility difficulties to use wheelchairs provided by the Archaeological Park. Wheelchairs are available at the entrances to Piazza Esedra, Porta Marina, Piazza Anfiteatro, First Medical Aid and at the guardhouse of Villa di Diomede.

And they are temporarily issued on presentation of a valid document.

Please note, however, that the chair will be checked for damage when it is returned.

Altri informazioni utili

• How to get to Pompeii

  Come raggiungere gli Scavi di Pompei in auto, pullman o treno partendo da Napoli o Sorrento. Con indicazione degli orari di partenza dei mezzi e la tratta da utilizzare.

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• The excavations of Pompeii: Info hours, tickets, free Sundays

  Tutte le informazioni sull’acquisto dei biglietti di ingresso agli Scavi archeologici, le tariffe e gli orari.

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• What to see in Pompeii

  All the places you can see in Pompeii with the four routes created by the Archaeological Park

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• Archaeological excavations of Pompeii: all Faq

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