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——————————————————————————————————————————————————ItalyPompeiiBy Susan BergerNew York / San Francisco / Hong Kong / London / Tokyo /Rome / TorontoBefore the catastrophe struck in 79 AD, the town of Pompeii, located southof Naples at the base of Mt. Vesuvius, was a resort for Rome’s upper class.Magnificent villas lined the paved streets, and the town was filled withtourists and slaves, factories, artisan shops, taverns and cafes, brothels,bathhouses, markets and open-air squares.It is estimated that 12,000 people lived in Pompeii at the time of theeruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Most had time to flee. Those who stayedencountered falling ash and collapsing buildings, following by a surge ofsuperheated poison gas and pulverized rock which poured down the side ofthe mountain, obliterating everything in its path. When the eruptionfinished the following day, Pompeii was buried under millions of tons ofvolcanic ash, 20 feet high, and stayed untouched until 1748, when it wasdiscovered by a group of explorers looking for ancient artifacts. The ashespreserved the town in exactly the condition it was in 17 centuries before.Buildings were intact and skeletons were frozen where they fell;archeologists later even found jars of preserved fruit and loaves of bread.An account of the explosion was detailed in two letters written by Pliny theYounger.Hundreds of homes have been excavated containing elaborate wall paintingsand floor mosaics, providing a history of architecture for at least fourcenturies. The center of the city’s life was the Forum, a rectangular areasurrounded by a two-story colonnaded portico. Surrounding it are temples,a large market, the headquarters of the woolen industry, the meeting placeof the government, the palaestra (sports ground) and a theatre. Excavationshave revealed gardens, bakeries, food and wine shops, hotels, and shops ofsculptors, toolmakers, and gem cutters. The discovery of Pompeii wasresponsible for the neo-Classical revival of the 18th century, as Europe’swealthiest families displayed art and reproductions from the ruins, whichhelped to shape the architectural trends of the era. Pompeii is of greathistorical significance, providing insight into the social, economic, religiousand political life of the ancient world.JoLeeMagazine.com 39