| The story of Pompeii has always fascinated | | | | In the 1860's, an excavator named Giuseppe |
| travelers, which is why it is a popular destination. | | | | Fiorelli found that there were pockets in the ash |
| While the city represented classic Roman life, the | | | | he was digging through and that these |
| destruction of it has always been the fascinating | | | | represented places where people had died. He |
| element. | | | | came up with the technique of injecting plaster |
| A Guide to the Significance of Pompeii for | | | | into these holes (left by the decomposition of the |
| Travelers | | | | human bodies) and was able to find out much |
| At the time, Italy was a place full of ingenuity and | | | | more about how the Pompeiians lived and died. As |
| historical significance. Rome was considered the | | | | the eruption left many of the residents of the |
| most important city in existence and the Roman | | | | town unable to escape, much of their life was left |
| Empire had expanded to conquer much of Europe, | | | | intact. Some died while in the process of |
| bringing both Roman and Italian influences to the | | | | everyday activities. |
| rest of the world. One of the most interesting | | | | The houses found preserved a complete picture |
| stories of this time was the calamity that took | | | | of 1st Century AD life. The bath houses, private |
| place in Pompeii, the site of one of the biggest | | | | houses, and streets, covered quickly with the ash |
| and most destructive volcanic eruptions in history. | | | | from Mount Vesuvius, were left exactly as they |
| Pompeii was destroyed in the eruption of Mount | | | | looked when used during this era. Art on the walls |
| Vesuvius in the year 79 AD. When the volcano | | | | of homes and in the streets were preserved, |
| exploded, the entire city was covered in layers of | | | | allowing future generations to see the tastes and |
| ash and other volcanic matter. It was not | | | | true ways of life that early Italians had. Graffiti |
| rediscovered for 1,600 years. In 1599, there was | | | | was even found, allowing historians to see just |
| an accidental discovery by the architect Fontana | | | | what real street Latin looked like. Pompeii was |
| who was trying to dig a new course for the | | | | preserved in the height of its popularity and |
| Samo River. Although the city was found at this | | | | wealth, and its riches were evident from what |
| time, a serious attempt to dig up the remains of | | | | archaeologists found there. |
| the area was not attempted until the year 1748. | | | | Today, a visit to Pompeii is a step into the past. |
| Later, archaeologists theorized that some of | | | | When you walk the remains, you are literally |
| Pompeii may have been dug up in 1599, but when | | | | walking in the city as it was nearly 2,000 years |
| erotic frescoes were discovered, the nudity | | | | ago. |
| caused early discoverers to rebury the area. | | | | |