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Italy 2026 - Day 6


Today we visited the excavations of the lost city of Pompeii, which was buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79AD (after being founded in 6BC or 7BC). Its population was estimated at 11,000 people, and the city had a complex water system, an amphitheatre, gymnasium, and a port.
 
The objects that lay beneath the city have been preserved for centuries because of the lack of air and moisture. These artefacts provide an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city during the Pax Romana. During the excavation, plaster was used to fill in the voids in the ash layers that once held human bodies. This allowed archaeologists to see the exact position the person was in when he or she died.

Pompeii has been a tourist destination for over 250 years. Today it has UNESCO World Heritage Site status and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, with approximately 2.5 million visitors every year.


 
 
After lunch we headed to Naples for a city tour and saw the seaside castle, Castel dell’Ovo, the impressive Galleria Umberto, the Piazza del Plebiscito and the world-famous opera house, Teatro di San Carlo.  After a long day of seeing some extraordinary sites, we headed back to Sorrento for dinner and some relaxing.
 
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