Pompeii: Italy's Ancient Ghost Town

On Friday, February 24 my art history class took a trip down south to the lovely area where the ancient city of Pompeii lies. Needless to say, the city left me speechless. With its well preserved buildings and wall paintings and even people, it felt as if I was taking a step back in history to a time so different yet so similar to our own. Pompeii, you definitely left a lasting impression on me!

Outside the ancient amphitheater where gladiatorial events were held.

Inside the amphitheater!

A view of Mt. Vesuvius in the background of some modern crops. They are trying to make Pompeii appear just as it did in the ancient times and so they put in things like this to create a more realistic image of the ancient city.

This is actually an ancient fast food place! These counters would be attached to people's homes and they would sell food to people as they are out and about. Most of the ancient people actually ate their food outside of their home, since having an oven was a luxury.

Just some ancient ruins of someone's home.

A beautifully preserved wall painting of the goddess Venus. It is amazing to think that this painting has survived everything the city has been through and still looks so vibrant!

More wall paintings that adorned a wealthy person's home.

One of the many public drinking fountains. This is how most of the people got their water, from public fountains such as this one.

Writing outside someone's home, this could have been advertising for their business or it could have just been something about the people living inside.

Standing in the ancient theater! (With Jordan looking like a midget man on the top of my head haha).

The auditorium, where poetry and works of literature were read to large groups of people.

There are stray dogs everywhere in Pompeii! This one happened to be taking a little nap in the sun.

Now if you are wondering why there would be a preserved painting such as this, it is because this adorned the walls inside the local brothel there in Pompeii. Remember how I said a couple pictures back that wall painting and writing was used to advertise? Well just use your imagination with this one..

The forum. Breathtakingly beautiful with Mt. Vesuvius in the background!

Cannot believe these columns are still standing, it blows my mind!

The basilica, where the senate would meet.

The Temple of Apollo.

A money exchange center located in the forum.

What your view would have been looking out onto the forum thousands of years ago.

There were SO many pots and vases and other ceramics that were preserved due to the covering of lava.

Unbelievable that these things are still preserved. And that is a body in the middle of the table, not a statue.

More ceramics and a man crouching down covering his face from the ash and lava.

This is the most famous body that was preserved during the eruption. The population of Pompeii was about 20,000 but they only found about 2,000 bodies in Pompeii, meaning that a good amount of people were actually able to escape and get away.

You can see this man's skull and teeth because he was so well preserved by the covering of lava that his bones and everything were still in tact when he was excavated thousands of years later. The lava covering preserved so many things because of how it dried so quickly around the things it covered. It is amazing to see these things and think that this man was alive during the eruption!

The decorations that were on the ceiling of the main bath house. Bath houses were a place to relax and get clean, sort of like a modern day spa.

Original mosaic that was in an entryway of a wealthy home.

What a view!

This is an umbrella pine tree and they are everywhere here in Italy! One of the eye witness accounts of the eruption says that when the mountain was spewing rock and ash and lava it looked just like one of these trees, which is why although Pompeii is not the closest to Vesuvius it got hit first, because the debris flew so far away.

Me with the ancient city in the background!

This area, the Bay of Naples area, has been so loved by the people of Italy and it is why it has always been so crowded and populated. After visiting and seeing the area, I can see why!

Detail, detail, and more detail! The Romans never left anything undone or unadorned.

Such brilliant wall paintings that were preserved in a villa just outside the city boundaries of Pompeii.

Ancient graffiti!

These were the biggest lemons I had ever seen! I am not even exaggerating when I say that these lemons were as big as my head!

Jesus is...naked?

What is there to do in Rome on a weekday afternoon? Go see a statue of a naked Jesus! As crazy as it sounds...there is actually one of the few naked statues of Jesus in one of the churches here in Rome. Kelsey is taking a class on Italian Renaissance Art and after telling us (as in the roommates) about this spectacle we decided we had to go see! After stopping by the Pantheon, which is right next to the church the statue is in, we went and saw for ourselves an interesting depiction of God's Son. The statue is in the church of Maria Sopra Minerva and was sculpted by the talented Michelangelo himself! Today you can see the statue but a loin cloth was put over Jesus' private area after one of the priests of the church was outraged that Jesus was actually naked. And that's the naked truth for ya!

The Pantheon, so dramatic!

Inside the Pantheon.

This is the same view that people of ancient Rome would see looking outside the Pantheon (minus the buildings).

The outside of the church of Maria Sopra Minerva. It looked so plain from the outside but that was not the case on the inside!

An elephant statue that adorns the square outside the church.

The inside of the church!

Jesus!

Another Day...Another Adventure!

One of the best things about living in a city like Rome is that there is SO much to do! I actually get kind of sad whenever I have to leave Rome because I love it here so much. This weekend we decided to stay in the lovely city of Rome and explore in areas we have not yet explored. After a couple of failed attempts to see some churches (since we made the rookie mistake of going during siesta time), we ended up at the Borghese Gardens, or as they call it here Villa Borghese. This plot of land used to be owned by one family, the Borghese family, but is now property of the state and has a number of museums and exhibits displaying the family's collection of art as well as other exhibits. We walked into the park and I immediately felt calm and such a sense of peace, it was so beautiful! After literally walking about 10 feet, we saw a place where we could rent a surrey and immediately got one to rent for an hour! 20 euros for an hour of surrey riding...I can dig it! It was so much fun and such a blast, we got to see the whole park from the comfort and thrill of a four-man bike. We did not even make it into the museums for various reasons, but the day could not have been more fun! After touring through Villa Borghese, we meandered over to Piazza del Popolo where they were beginning to set up for Roman Carnivale, which is a huge theatrical festival that travels through Italy and stops at various locations. The city was alive with excitement as we started walking back home and stopped at our favorite bakery by Piazza Nuvona. I love this city with a passion and as I have days/evenings such as those, I really dread the day I have to leave such an amazing place. I will find comfort in knowing that I do have another couple of months here, but leaving this city will be a hard obstacle to get over since I have fallen so in love with Rome and its culture!

In front of the Spanish Steps! 

The view from the top of the Spanish Steps...what a beautiful day!

The Fontane de Tritone, one of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's many fountains that grace the city.

The entrance to Villa Borghese!

On a surrey!

Some random Frenchman let me borrow his segway...so much fun to ride!

The horse track in the Villa, where events are still held in the Spring and Summer!

Yours truly and Kelsey modeling on one of the many statues that are in the Villa.

Piazza del Popolo.

Carnivale is coming to Rome!

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, which means "Fountain of Four Rivers." This fountain in Piazza Navona was another Bernini creation that was meant to symbolize four rivers, the Ganges, the Nile, the Rio della Plata, and the Danube.