Monday, April 11, 2011

In 79 AD the Mountain Exploded (Pompei and Herculaneum)

Visiting Pompei and Herculaneum was like wandering the desert.
We took the tram from our residence in Stabia to both sites, and along the way as well as once we arrived it didn't seem like the cities had been buried under meters and meters of ash and debris. The surrounding cityscape actually was thriving and no one would've guessed that there was a volcano around. We proceeded to the ruins and it was as if time rewound. The ruins of Pompei felt like a ghost town. The landscape was desolate and most of the buildings were reduced to foundations (other than those that were being restored).  Herculaneum was the same as in a complete shift from populated city to archaeological site. This site was much smaller than Pompei and in better condition due to its distance from the eruption.
 Stillness was the over all feeling while walking through the streets and houses. As if life had froze, it was eerie to see preserved frescoes, people, and every day items still in the places they were left. The feeling of destruction and emptiness was compounded by the lack of vegetation and a clear sky. Both sites had an arid sense about them.
While sketching these sites, it was interesting to draw what we actually saw and then attempt some recreations. Some examples were attempted in these cities so we had a couple ideas of a direction to pursue.
After the visits, a small group of us decided to climb Mt. Vesuvius. That consisted of a bus ride to about 1000m then walk up a path that had been carved into the side of the volcano. When we were at the rim of the crater, I could definitely smell the sulfur and some of the vents were steaming. From that high up we were able to see each city we had visited. We could make out Napoli, Pompei, and Stabia. We thought we could make out Capri but we weren't sure. Atop the volcano, there was a different sense, yes this was the source of all that destruction however over the centuries people returned and had rebuilt cities around the base. Life had returned and we were at the vantage point to see its progression.

When we got back to the hotel, I made it up to one of the roofs just in time to see one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen, a perfect ending to a long day of walking and drawing.






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