A LONG, LONG TIME AGO

As you disembark your cruise ship in Naples, meet your private guide and driver and enjoy a full-day tour of one of the world’s most fascinating archaeological sites and the museum that preserves its artefacts.

Buried in deadly volcanic ash after the sudden eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and accidentally discovered in 1748, Pompeii is an absolute must for first-time visitors to Italy. Your guide will take you on a carefully planned trail through this incredible ancient settlement and explain the purpose and function of the foundations and buildings you will see along the way. You will also find out about the lifestyle and customs of those who inhabited them, the techniques used to uncover and interpret findings made here and the evidence that has been pieced together to give us such a stunningly vivid and accurate picture of Roman Campania. Although much excavation work remains to be done and conservation presents the curators with a massive challenge, what you can still see and touch here is simply astounding.

Your journey back in time begins as you access the excavations of Pompeii through the city gate of Porta Marina. Once inside, follow your guide through the ruins of the ancient city and conjure up scenes of yesteryear’s inhabitants while they go about their daily chores. Can you imagine how life must have been in this once thriving agricultural and trading centre, peacefully perched in the shadow of mighty Mount Vesuvius, unaware of the imminent disaster? How did Pompeii’s 15,000 residents spend their time 2,000 years ago? What were their occupations, beliefs and traditions? What did they eat? Which leisure activities did they enjoy? The answers to these and many more questions are securely safeguarded within Pompeii’s crumbling walls, jigsaw pieces in a tantalizing, real life puzzle just waiting to be reassembled – with a little help from your guide.

When you walk along the well-planned streets, you’ll notice the road building skills that were needed to set the large paving blocks in place and the high kerbs and stepping stones conveniently arranged to allow people to cross without getting their feet wet and dirty. This is just one small but significant example of the ingenuity of the ancient Romans in the fields of engineering and urban planning, achievements which remained unequalled for centuries and whose remarkable legacy continues to guide us to this day. Our culinary habits, pastimes and vices too may well have their roots here. From fast foods to spas, from red light districts to gambling the ancient Romans of Pompeii were already seasoned experts in the pleasures and transgressions of the city.

Your guide will certainly point out Pompeii’s age-old venues for public meetings: the forum, once the site of the market, administrative offices and court; the thermal baths where citizens came to relax, play sports and socialize; the temples, a source of precious clues to our understanding of the creed and religious rituals of yesteryear’s worshippers. Theatres were popular with the locals who gathered here to watch a varied calendar of shows, such as Greek tragedies, musical performances, poetry readings and the much-loved light-hearted plays that featured frauds, betrayals and brawls. You will also take a peek inside a private residential villa which provides a wonderful example of the layout of a wealthy citizen’s dwelling and the decorative tastes of the age.

Casts of the bodies of the ill-fated population, trapped forever at the very moment of death, leave the visitor with a particularly haunting memory of a cataclysmic event that has meticulously secured for us so much priceless knowledge about the Roman way of life.

Rejoin your driver and return to Naples to enjoy some free time for lunch. Later, explore the city’s most cherished collection of classical antiquities on a tour of the Archaeological Museum. The first seed of the museum was sown in the late 18th century when King Ferdinand IV of Naples established a showcase for the works of art he had inherited from his ancestors inside a grandiose 16th century palazzo. The treasure trove we can admire today, comprising over 3,000 artefacts of inestimable artistic value, is a result of successive acquisitions, donations and findings. Your guide will accompany you through the halls, past Egyptian artefacts, Roman sculptures and Pompeiian paintings, and throw light on the must-see masterworks.

Marvel at the extraordinary artistic achievements of ancient craftsmen as you wander through the halls devoted to the Collezione Farnese, once the property of the powerful Roman Farnese family. Among the highlights of this section of the museum are a number of engraved gems and exquisitely carved marble statues which were unearthed in 1546 during the excavations carried out in the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. Noteworthy pieces include the massive 3rd century AD Hercules, representing the weary mythological hero as he leans on his club after completing his twelfth labour; the 2nd century AD Atlas, kneeling under the weight of the celestial spheres; the 3rd century AD Bull, a colossal marble group representing the myth of Dirce.

The museum also hosts a remarkable collection of 2,000-year-old mosaics and frescoes recovered from Pompeii in the 18th and 19th centuries. These works attest to the skill of local artisans and open a precious window onto Pompeiian lifestyle and culture. The scenes depict an array of different subjects, ranging from religious representations and landscapes to animals and portraits. Not to be missed are the fabulous battle scene featuring Alexander the Great, detached from the floor of House of the Faun, and the incredibly well-preserved paintings that once decorated the Temple of Isis.

A dazzling collection of bronze artefacts, marble busts and sculptures from the Vesuvian towns of Herculaneum and Stabiae allow the visitor a moving glimpse of long gone but once thriving Roman centres of civilization.