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DUOMO DI NAPOLI - Holy Mary
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DUOMO DI NAPOLI
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DUOMO DI NAPOLI - Lover of light
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SAN GREGORIO ARMENO - Living like a Napolitani
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CENTRO STORICO
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SAN GREGORIO ARMENO - Christmas all year round
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MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO DI NAPOLI - Fallen Amazon
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MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO DI NAPOLI - Pompeian beauty
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MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO DI NAPOLI - The weight of heavens
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POMPEII - Silent death
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POMPEII - Forgotten life
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POMPEII - Anyone served?
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POMPEII - Remanants of a luxurious life
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POMPEII - Endless remains
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POMPEII - Through Pompeii streets
Pompeii
In the Italian region of Campania, is the Vesuvius volcano, which has erupted many times throughout human history, and is considered to be one of the most dangerous since it has a population of millions living in its surroundings. In 79AD, the eruption of the volcano created one of the most catastrophic events in Roman ancient history, destroying several cities, burying others under its ashes, and killing thousands of people.
One the cities that got buried under the volcano ashes was Pompeii. The city was forgotten under the ashes for over 1500 years, until the 16th century, when Popes and engineers started to take interest in the Roman past, wanting to expose the ancient treasures of Pompeii. Since then, this ancient city has been slowly excavated all year round to uncover its remains. The structures, artefacts and human remains found here, provide us a unique archaeological context, like a time capsule, that send us back to that fatidic day. Because the city was completely forgotten after its destruction, it provides archaeologists with a perfect example of how life was in 79 AD. Any other archaeological site would have layer after layer of construction over destruction phases. Here time stopped!
The city of Pompeii was founded in the 7th or 6th century BC, by the Osci, an Italic people from Campania. By the 4th century it came under the domain of Rome, and by 80 BC it officially became a Roman colony. By the time of its destruction, is believed that Pompeii had a population of 11000 people, with a prominent elite, who subsidized the development of the city. It had a complex water system, an amphitheater, a gymnasium, a port, and even two theatres.
Visiting the city is a unique experience. Is like going back in time. There is no other ancient city in the world that could provide such experience of wander through its ancient streets, stepping on the same stones from 2000 years ago, entering rich and poor people houses, visit its markets, its bakeries, tabernae (a food stall), bath houses, its centers for political discussion, temples and even brothel houses depicting sex positions everywhere for those ones with less sexual imagination. Pompeii sends you back, like in a time machine, to an ordinary day that suddenly became dark, very dark. A day when everyone had to rush out of the city, living everything behind, trying to survive. But not all managed to survive. Many perished, breathing the ashes that were contaminating the air, falling everywhere, some embracing themselves asphyxiating, while mothers tried to protect their children in vain. Pompeii is fascinating but terrifying at the same time. Even with crowds of people visiting the city daily, it is a peaceful place, without much noise, as if everyone needed to show respect for those ones who died on that August 24th, 79 AD.
If you’re planning to visit the city, I advise you to go early in the day. The city is huge, and it would take you at least four hours to visit everything. At the entrance they will give you guide with maps and information about every single you can visit. To enter the city you can also just choose the entrance that best suits you, as there are many around the city. If you’re travelling by car, there are several paid parking lots where you can safely leave your car, and then just enter through the nearest entrance. There are also four other sites that were buried under the ashes of the Vesuvius that you can visit: Herculaneum, Oplontis, Boscoreale and the Stabian villas. There are several guided tours that you can book, if you wish to visit them all, and have a complete insight. For more information you can visit Pompeii’s website - www.pompeiisites.org.
One the cities that got buried under the volcano ashes was Pompeii. The city was forgotten under the ashes for over 1500 years, until the 16th century, when Popes and engineers started to take interest in the Roman past, wanting to expose the ancient treasures of Pompeii. Since then, this ancient city has been slowly excavated all year round to uncover its remains. The structures, artefacts and human remains found here, provide us a unique archaeological context, like a time capsule, that send us back to that fatidic day. Because the city was completely forgotten after its destruction, it provides archaeologists with a perfect example of how life was in 79 AD. Any other archaeological site would have layer after layer of construction over destruction phases. Here time stopped!
The city of Pompeii was founded in the 7th or 6th century BC, by the Osci, an Italic people from Campania. By the 4th century it came under the domain of Rome, and by 80 BC it officially became a Roman colony. By the time of its destruction, is believed that Pompeii had a population of 11000 people, with a prominent elite, who subsidized the development of the city. It had a complex water system, an amphitheater, a gymnasium, a port, and even two theatres.
Visiting the city is a unique experience. Is like going back in time. There is no other ancient city in the world that could provide such experience of wander through its ancient streets, stepping on the same stones from 2000 years ago, entering rich and poor people houses, visit its markets, its bakeries, tabernae (a food stall), bath houses, its centers for political discussion, temples and even brothel houses depicting sex positions everywhere for those ones with less sexual imagination. Pompeii sends you back, like in a time machine, to an ordinary day that suddenly became dark, very dark. A day when everyone had to rush out of the city, living everything behind, trying to survive. But not all managed to survive. Many perished, breathing the ashes that were contaminating the air, falling everywhere, some embracing themselves asphyxiating, while mothers tried to protect their children in vain. Pompeii is fascinating but terrifying at the same time. Even with crowds of people visiting the city daily, it is a peaceful place, without much noise, as if everyone needed to show respect for those ones who died on that August 24th, 79 AD.
If you’re planning to visit the city, I advise you to go early in the day. The city is huge, and it would take you at least four hours to visit everything. At the entrance they will give you guide with maps and information about every single you can visit. To enter the city you can also just choose the entrance that best suits you, as there are many around the city. If you’re travelling by car, there are several paid parking lots where you can safely leave your car, and then just enter through the nearest entrance. There are also four other sites that were buried under the ashes of the Vesuvius that you can visit: Herculaneum, Oplontis, Boscoreale and the Stabian villas. There are several guided tours that you can book, if you wish to visit them all, and have a complete insight. For more information you can visit Pompeii’s website - www.pompeiisites.org.
Museo Archeologico di Napoli
If you’re visiting the Archaeological Site of Pompeii, south of Naples, you cannot miss the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (http://www.museoarcheologiconapoli.it/en/). If you’re travelling through Italy like I was, I recommend that you stay at least two days in Naples, so you can visit the surrounding archaeological sites and take a trekking tour to the Vesuvius, and visit Naples and its museums. The city doesn’t have as much attractions as Rome or Florence, and the major things to visit are all in a walking distance if you stay in the ancient quarters of Naples.
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples, formerly known as Real Museo Borbonico, is considered to be one of the most important archaeological museum of Italy, gathering an important collection of Roman archaeological artefacts. Surrounding Naples there are several archaeological sites that where abandoned or destroyed during the 79AD eruption of the Vesuvius that have been excavated and studied for their archaeological knowledge, providing relevant information ancient Roman daily life that cannot be found in the other archaeological sites. Most of the finds, are then stored and studied in this museum.
Apart from mosaics, frescoes and artefacts collected in the near archaeological site which depict also, but mainly, the sexual tastes and “fertility tokens” common throughout ancient Pompeii, the museum houses an extensive collection of Roman marble sculptures that imitate the lost Greek originals, among which the Farnese Atlas – depicting Atlas kneeling while holding the celestial spheres; the Farnese Bull – a massive sculpture representing the myth of Dirce, where she was tied to a wild bull to be punished; the Venus of Callipyge – or literally, “Venus of the beautiful buttocks”; and the Farnese Hercules – an enlarged copy made for the baths of Caracalla, which according to my husband: if you manage to touch his balls, you’ll have Hercules strength….
For those ones who enjoy Egyptian history, the museum also houses an important Egyptian collection of more the 2500 objects, many of them collected from archaeological sites in the Campanian region, which demonstrates the close proximity of both civilizations after the integration of Egypt into the Roman Empire.
The museum also hosts several temporary collections throughout the year. At the time we visited, there was a contemporary collection of paintings and sculptures, a bronze collection that imitates marble Greek statues, and a collection of Greek vases.
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples, formerly known as Real Museo Borbonico, is considered to be one of the most important archaeological museum of Italy, gathering an important collection of Roman archaeological artefacts. Surrounding Naples there are several archaeological sites that where abandoned or destroyed during the 79AD eruption of the Vesuvius that have been excavated and studied for their archaeological knowledge, providing relevant information ancient Roman daily life that cannot be found in the other archaeological sites. Most of the finds, are then stored and studied in this museum.
Apart from mosaics, frescoes and artefacts collected in the near archaeological site which depict also, but mainly, the sexual tastes and “fertility tokens” common throughout ancient Pompeii, the museum houses an extensive collection of Roman marble sculptures that imitate the lost Greek originals, among which the Farnese Atlas – depicting Atlas kneeling while holding the celestial spheres; the Farnese Bull – a massive sculpture representing the myth of Dirce, where she was tied to a wild bull to be punished; the Venus of Callipyge – or literally, “Venus of the beautiful buttocks”; and the Farnese Hercules – an enlarged copy made for the baths of Caracalla, which according to my husband: if you manage to touch his balls, you’ll have Hercules strength….
For those ones who enjoy Egyptian history, the museum also houses an important Egyptian collection of more the 2500 objects, many of them collected from archaeological sites in the Campanian region, which demonstrates the close proximity of both civilizations after the integration of Egypt into the Roman Empire.
The museum also hosts several temporary collections throughout the year. At the time we visited, there was a contemporary collection of paintings and sculptures, a bronze collection that imitates marble Greek statues, and a collection of Greek vases.
Naples Centro Storico
Do you know that saying that says Christmas is when man wants it? Or something like that? When in Naples people want Christmas, and they want it all year round! There are several streets in the Centro Storico of Naples, with Christmas decorations for you to create a perfect Christmas crib for your baby Jesus. From traditional clay figurines of cows, donkeys, Marys and Josephs, there is also bakers, water carriers, florist, butchers, carpenters…. You name it! A whole section of figurines for you to create the perfect Bethlehem village – if you don’t mind some figurines being dressed with a bit more modern fashion…
We only stayed for two nights in Naples, as our major goal was to visit Pompeii and the National Archaeological Museum, but the Centro Storico of Naples turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. UNESCO World Heritage Site, the historic center is the perfect place “to get lost”. High dark alleys zig-zag along a wide area, crowned by beautiful balconies decorated with flowers, in colorful high buildings that seem to touch each other at the top for being so high in such narrow streets. In every corner you find a hidden church that when you enter, turns out to be a majestic gothic or baroque ample structure with Napolitani praying at any time of the day, sometimes even with mass preached in other languages, as we found out in one the churches where a mass was being preached for Portuguese immigrants in honor of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, from Portugal.
The Napolitani are famous for being very religious, but also for their pizza, their mafia, and their trash! Yes, trash! If you travel around the country, you’ll notice that as soon as you move south of Rome, the streets, even highways, are way much dirty than the quite clean north of the country. I am not saying you move around litter, of course not, but you’ll see that the streets are not as clean as you would expect in a European city. Nonetheless, measures are being taking to a more constant collection of the garbage, and things are improving.
If you heard that the Italians are crazy drivers, well… kind of... although I cannot say much since Portuguese also have that fame, and I might say is true… Ups! But in Naples, this crazy driving is taken to a whole nother level! Yes, here they are crazy! Scooters and cars zig-zag between each other, honking and shouting, passing red lights. I felt I had returned to Cambodia! I was at home again… But seriously, if you visit Naples, and if you are a pedestrian, take care. Look very carefully before crossing the road, and always walk along the sidewalks.
Finally just a quick tip. If you’re planning on staying in Naples, try to book your accommodation in an apartment at the Centro Storico. Really! Don’t stay in hotels. In the historic center, there are several palaces that were transformed into several small apartments, and people with extra apartments, now rent those ones to tourists. You can find these places through Booking (www.booking.com) or Airbnb (www.airbnb.com), and they are the perfect place to stay. Comfy, well decorated, with all the kitchen appliances if you want to eat at home instead of going to the restaurant all the time. We stayed in the Appartamentino San Gregorio Armeno & Rooms (https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/appartamentino-san-gregorio-armeno.it.html) and we loved it! Right in the city center, very clean, with all the comfort to feel like home, and a very helpful and friendly host.
We only stayed for two nights in Naples, as our major goal was to visit Pompeii and the National Archaeological Museum, but the Centro Storico of Naples turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. UNESCO World Heritage Site, the historic center is the perfect place “to get lost”. High dark alleys zig-zag along a wide area, crowned by beautiful balconies decorated with flowers, in colorful high buildings that seem to touch each other at the top for being so high in such narrow streets. In every corner you find a hidden church that when you enter, turns out to be a majestic gothic or baroque ample structure with Napolitani praying at any time of the day, sometimes even with mass preached in other languages, as we found out in one the churches where a mass was being preached for Portuguese immigrants in honor of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, from Portugal.
The Napolitani are famous for being very religious, but also for their pizza, their mafia, and their trash! Yes, trash! If you travel around the country, you’ll notice that as soon as you move south of Rome, the streets, even highways, are way much dirty than the quite clean north of the country. I am not saying you move around litter, of course not, but you’ll see that the streets are not as clean as you would expect in a European city. Nonetheless, measures are being taking to a more constant collection of the garbage, and things are improving.
If you heard that the Italians are crazy drivers, well… kind of... although I cannot say much since Portuguese also have that fame, and I might say is true… Ups! But in Naples, this crazy driving is taken to a whole nother level! Yes, here they are crazy! Scooters and cars zig-zag between each other, honking and shouting, passing red lights. I felt I had returned to Cambodia! I was at home again… But seriously, if you visit Naples, and if you are a pedestrian, take care. Look very carefully before crossing the road, and always walk along the sidewalks.
Finally just a quick tip. If you’re planning on staying in Naples, try to book your accommodation in an apartment at the Centro Storico. Really! Don’t stay in hotels. In the historic center, there are several palaces that were transformed into several small apartments, and people with extra apartments, now rent those ones to tourists. You can find these places through Booking (www.booking.com) or Airbnb (www.airbnb.com), and they are the perfect place to stay. Comfy, well decorated, with all the kitchen appliances if you want to eat at home instead of going to the restaurant all the time. We stayed in the Appartamentino San Gregorio Armeno & Rooms (https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/appartamentino-san-gregorio-armeno.it.html) and we loved it! Right in the city center, very clean, with all the comfort to feel like home, and a very helpful and friendly host.
Naples Cathedral
Naples Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary is nestled between buildings in one the main avenues of Centro Storico. Looking from the outside, it looks like just another church, but it hides and incredibly beautiful Neo-gothic and Baroque interior.
Set on the foundations of two paleo-Christian basilicas, the present cathedral was commissioned by King Charles I of Anjou in the 13th century, and was finished only by Robert of Anjou, already in the 14th century. Its interior is beautifully golden decorated, with colorful stained glass that highlight the frescoes on the walls.
The main attraction is the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, with frescoes by Domenichino and Giovanni Lanfranco. The amount of gold that decorates the chapel bedazzles anyone’s eyes, and the frescoes in the cupula are just outstanding.
Hidden within its reliquary, a vial with the blood of Saint Januarius is brought out twice a year, when the dry blood liquefies again. Miracle or science, the Napolitani believe that if the blood fails to liquefy, disaster will fall upon Naples.
Set on the foundations of two paleo-Christian basilicas, the present cathedral was commissioned by King Charles I of Anjou in the 13th century, and was finished only by Robert of Anjou, already in the 14th century. Its interior is beautifully golden decorated, with colorful stained glass that highlight the frescoes on the walls.
The main attraction is the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, with frescoes by Domenichino and Giovanni Lanfranco. The amount of gold that decorates the chapel bedazzles anyone’s eyes, and the frescoes in the cupula are just outstanding.
Hidden within its reliquary, a vial with the blood of Saint Januarius is brought out twice a year, when the dry blood liquefies again. Miracle or science, the Napolitani believe that if the blood fails to liquefy, disaster will fall upon Naples.
