Pompeii & The Cities of Vesuvius

Detailed Itinerary

Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D.

Monday 4 November – Arrive

A single coach early evening transfer from Naples airport or the railway station is offered. After check-in, meet Dr Lazer over drinks and canapes in our hotel. Overnight Sorrento.

Tuesday 5 November – Pompeii

After an introductory lecture, the full day is spent in Pompeii. Dr Lazer will show you both the main excavations, such as the forum, amphitheatre and baths, but also take you to sites where archaeological work is currently underway. Dr Lazer is regularly given access to sites not normally open to the public, a privilege of travelling with an expert of this calibre. Our visit will consider all aspects of life in a Roman town: politics and commerce, religious devotion, entertainment and family life. The casts of the victims of the eruption are unforgettable – but also complex, equivocal archaeological evidence. Overnight Sorrento. We enjoy lunch is at Pompeii today, adjacent to the archaeological site, before returning to the site. (B,L)

Wednesday 6 November – Naples archaeological museum

In Roman times, Naples (Neapolis) was a small centre with a Greek heritage. It was not until the reign of Angevin and then Spanish and Bourbon rulers that it began a major European capital. The Bourbons initiated the excavation of Pompeii and it became a must-see destination for travellers on the Grand Tour in the 18th and 19th centuries. Naples’ celebrated archaeological museum is a product of the Bourbon age, and contains an astounding range of artefacts from Pompeii, Herculaneum and other sites. After Dr Lazer’s lecture, our visit will focus especially on wall paintings, but there are magnificent mosaics, sculpture, jewellery and decorative pieces to enjoy as well, not to mention everyday objects which display the material comfort and technological achievement of the Romans. Overnight Sorrento. (B)

Thursday 7 November – Paestum and the Amalfi Coast

Just 60km south of Pompeii lies one of the best-preserved Greek archaeological sites in existence. Posedonia was founded in the 6th century BCE and contains three magnificent Doric-style temples in an evocative rural setting. (Unlike so many Greek sites which were destroyed, Paestum was abandoned and has come down to use in a good state of preservation.) The adjacent archaeological museum is also one of Italy’s best small museums. We travel to Paestum vis the spectacular Amalfi Coast, one of Europe’s most scenic drives. A highlight of the trip is sure to be our lunch at Tenuta Vanello, a high-tech buffalo mozzarella farm. We enjoy a lunch comprising almost entirely buffalo milk products and get to meet the buffalo! This evening Dr Lazer talks on wall painting in ancient Rome. Overnight Sorrento. (B,L)

Friday 8 November – Herculaneum and Oplontis

Although Pompeii is the best known of the cities of Vesuvius, the Roman villa at Oplontis and the seaside town of Herculaneum are major attractions in and of themselves, deserving an equal fame to Pompeii. After a lecture we spend the morning at the 1st century BCE villa at Oplontis, near the modern town of Torre Annuziata. The scale of the villa and the sumptuous facilities and wall paintings suggest the villa belonged to one of Rome’s leading families, perhaps the imperial family, but this remains a mystery. In the afternoon we visit the seaside town of Herculaneum, surely a salubrious place to live before the catastrophe of AD79. Superbly preserved and not excavated until the 20th century it contains exquisite private houses, shops and bathing complexes. Overnight Sorrento. (B)

Saturday 9 November – Villas on the Bay

At the height of the Roman Empire, the Bay of Naples was the resort of choice for the Roman aristocracy and there were many large private villas dotted around the bay, as well as more modest structure. This morning we visit two contrasting examples. The ‘villa rustica’ at Boscoreale was a working farm, not rediscovered until the mid-20th century and containing a wealth of finds. Nearby is the town of Stabia, where we know many wealthy Romans estivated. It is here on the beach that Pliny the Elder died, as narrated in a classic letter by his nephew describing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. We visit one or two villas here, before returning to Sorrento for a free afternoon. This evening we gather for a farewell meal in a leading restaurant. (B,D)

Sunday 10 November – Departure

The will be a single transfer to Naples railway station and on to the airport at a time coinciding with the departure of the majority of the group. We will liaise with you regarding the optimal departure time.