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No matter how much you've read about Pompeii, nothing quite prepares you for the striking
effect of some of the world's most famous ruins. It's as is the ancient Romans had departed only yesterday - the bone, wine
shops, public batch and bordellos they left behind are windows on the life that flourished in
this thriving port city at the foot of Vesuvius in the days of the Caesars.
In AD79 one of the most disastrous volcanic eruptions in history - recorded by Pliny the younger, who observed it from a distance - buried the
town under more than 20 feet of ash (not lava) that would preserve it until it was rediscovered at the end of the 16th century.
It was not until the mid-18th century that large-scale excavation were launched, and two thirds of the city, some 60
acres, remain buried even now. The opulence of Pompeii can be seen in its intricate
mosaic floors and richly frescoed villa, although many of the
city's decorative art object were stolen long ago or carted off to the National Museum of Archaeology in Naples for safe keeping.
Even though more than 1 million tourists visit yearly, Pompeii is large enough to provide quiet corners and elusive enough to be misunderstood
without the help of a guide. Entire areas of the dead city are astonishingly intact, a
haunting remnant of a place that seems as advanced and civilized as anything around it today.
Sound like a place you'd like to visit? Then check out our cool Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius tours. Just
click here for more information...
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