Visiting Pompeii, Italy: Frozen in Tragic Beauty
You can still see their appearance, the way they looked in the last second before they disappeared – residents, kettles, bread, city walls…
Country: Italy
Location: Southern Italy
Best travel time: March to May, September to November
Pompeii, also translated as “Pompei”, on August 24, 79 AD, this once-glorious ancient Roman city was instantly buried deep underground by the suddenly erupting ash from Mount Vesuvius. It wasn’t until 1748, when a farmer accidentally discovered a metal chest filled with gold and silver jewelry and ancient coins while turning soil in his vineyard, that the ancient city of Pompeii, the second largest city in the ancient Roman Empire, bustling with merchants, full of material desires and extremely luxurious, gradually reappeared before the world’s eyes. The ancient city of Pompeii preserves a large number of architectural remains and cultural artifacts from the ancient Roman Empire period, and is known as the most famous ancient city ruins in the world.
Because it was buried by volcanic ash, the streets and houses in the ancient city are relatively well-preserved.
The ruins of the dwellings stir one’s emotions and set the imagination wandering.
The amphitheater could accommodate the entire population of Pompeii.
Mount Vesuvius is surrounded by vineyards and is world-famous for its fine wine production. Moreover, the volcano is an ocean of plants, with oak and chestnut trees growing at its foot, and lush broom covering its mountainside. Every year during the flowering season, the entire Mount Vesuvius appears to be covered with a carpet of flowers. Following the uneven terrain of the plateau, the flower carpet rises and falls, creating a beautiful sight. Before the volcanic eruption, people considered this place a paradise and came here to settle. Because of their arrival, Pompeii’s economy also prospered. In the city of Pompeii, the widest street was the stone-paved Abundance Street, where the stones were worn into deep ruts by the wheels of carriages, which is the most direct evidence of the prosperity of the ancient city of Pompeii. Walking along this street to the square, one can see lifelike statues of famous people, and the surrounding buildings are very magnificent. All of these things proclaim to the world how powerful and prosperous ancient Rome was at that time.
In addition, archaeologists once discovered a priceless mosaic on the wall of a wealthy household. This mosaic, made of 200 pieces of colored glass and marble, is “The Battle of Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia,” which vividly portrays Alexander’s bravery and composure during the battle. Another fresco unearthed in Pompeii bears the inscription “nothing lasts forever.” Recalling the magnificent city that was instantly buried underground, one can’t help but be filled with deep thoughts. The ancient Pompeians’ aesthetic appreciation and wisdom in art are truly worthy of our admiration. Besides exquisite frescoes, the ruins of Pompeii also include an arena that could accommodate nearly 20,000 people, as well as bars, bakeries, a grand theater, pedestrian streets, a castle, water pools… The city walls, eroded for thousands of years, still display their dazzling bright red color, which continuously drives archaeologists to seek answers.
The exhibited remains of the victims still maintain their final postures from when death arrived thousands of years ago—some bent over to protect their infants, some still seemingly in their sleep. Like a castle under a magic spell in a fairy tale, everything was frozen in that moment. The disaster struck so suddenly that we can’t help but think of the phrase “nothing lasts forever” from the fresco, as if everything had been prophesied long ago.
Walking through Pompeii, preserved in volcanic ash for nearly 2000 years, it seems that beyond showcasing the magnificent grandeur of this fascinating ancient city, the magical power that leaves us in awe can only be understood and experienced by ourselves.
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