Life in Pompeii, a city buried by time

Buried for more than 1,700 years under a blanket of ash and lapilli only to be brought to light causally in 1748 during excavations, this is Pompeii the story of the city buried by time.

Pompeii was a wealthy and flourishing Roman city located south of Naples, populated before the eruption of Vesuvius by more than 20,000 inhabitants.

It was rich in luxurious houses, stores, temples, theaters, and an amphitheater.

It was a modern and sophisticated city for its time. Pompeii had a perfect system of aqueducts and sewers and a road network consisting of two decumani (leading from east to west) and two cardini ( north to south), which connected the whole city.

In short, a present-day town in which its inhabitants were engaged daily not only in their work and activities but also devoted much time to games, entertainment and self-care.

The life of Pompeians before the eruption

The ancient Pompeian people lived mostly from trade and agriculture. In fact, the mild climate and fertile soils allowed for abundant harvests. In particular, they grew vines, from which they obtained fine wines, olive trees from which they obtained oil, wheat, fruits and vegetables.

But the life of the ancient Pompeians was not only centered on work; they also devoted much of their time to caring for themselves.

In fact, Pompeii had no shortage of, saunas, pools, massage rooms and public baths, which were very popular in Roman times.

But not only did they also frequent the so-called “thermopoli” that is, hot tables, where they could not only eat but also sip excellent wine.

They attended but were also the protagonists of the many shows that were held inside the large and small theater and inside the Amphitheater, mostly dedicated to fights and shows between gladiators.

The Pompeians , in short, led a normal life. But the tranquility of their everyday life was suddenly shattered by that terrible eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.

A violent and catastrophic eruption that buried the city of Pompeii under a blanket of ash and lapilli for more than 5 meters, destroying everything.

Few were the inhabitants of Pompeii who managed to survive the catastrophic eruption, most died exhaling noxious gases and crushed by the extremely high temperatures of the pyroclastic flow.

Pompeii remained buried until 1748, when the King of Naples Charles III of Bourbon, after some findings at Herculaneum, ordered the first excavations.

Pompeii today

Today, Pompeii is a major tourist attraction in Italy, attracting visitors from all over the world. The city has been restored and preserved to allow visitors to admire the ancient remains and discover the lives of Pompeii’s inhabitants before its destruction.

This is precisely why, to learn what Pompeii was like before the catastrophe, many visitors choose to visit it together with a tour guide. If you want to do it too, rely on our experienced guides, who will lead you to discover the main places that made Pompeii’s history.

Among the most famous attractions you can visit in Pompeii is the theater. Even today, as in ancient Pompeii, it is used for performances and concerts. It is probably one of the theaters of Roman times still in use in our times.

Another important stop chosen by the many visitors is the forum, the ancient Piazza of Pompeii, is where the life of Pompeiians was concentrated. All around it stood stores, temples, sacred places.

But not only in Pompeii you can also see the Stabian Baths, a large public bath complex equipped with pools, saunas, gyms and massage rooms. One of the largest and best-preserved buildings in the entire archaeological site of Pompeii.

To visit Pompeii is to immerse oneself in the history and culture of ancient Rome, discovering the customs, traditions and daily life of its inhabitants.