GUIDED TOURS ON THE HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
The Campania has always been a land of encounter of peoples and cultures.
On this territory have passed the most important civilizations of the past, leaving tracks in the region.
CHOOSE YOUR TOUR
ITINERARY 1: POMPEII -A UNIQUE CITY-
I like to think of visiting the ancient city of Pompeii coming from the sea. We enter the city by climbing a steep path to Porta Marina (the most important gate); try to imagine the slaves transporting goods, or sailors, or traders. After a little while we are in the monumental area where you can see the Basilica (Courthouse), the Temple of Apollo, the Capitol and the first plaster casts in the Deposit. Leaving the Forum (main square), we enter into the thermal baths (Spa). You can understand the practical genius of the Romans looking at the heating system so called "hypocaust": hot air (steam, produced thanks to burning wood). We leave the city behind and you reach the Herculaneum Gate. Outside the city walls there are the Tombs, and our next stop is the famous “Villa dei Misteri” (Villa of Mysteries), a suburban villa in which there are the incredible frescoes of the "triclinium" (dining room): Here we see "the pompeian red colour" and the frescoes representing the Dionysian cults. Dionysus was the Greek God of wine and theater.
Duration: 1 day
ITINERARY 2: HERCULANEUM/OPLONTIS -THE FURY OF A VOLCANO-
A mass of mud transformed into tuff, about 25 meters high, covered the ancient town of Herculaneum for centuries. According to a legend, Herculaneum was founded by Hercules; it was a town influenced by the nearby Greek Neapolis. The excavations began in 1738 and have not yet brought to light the entire city because the volcanic material was difficult to excavated. A wonderful surprise was the discovery of the "Villa dei Papiri" (Villa of Papyri); it was excavated partially and there is a replica of this villa at the " GETTY MUSEUM "in Malibu-California. Walking through its streets, we enter into houses where many frescoes testimony the unique elegance of Herculaneum when it overlooked the sea. You can imagine what a view there was from the houses built on the city walls! Then you enter the public buildings such as the “Sacello degli Augustali” (Shrine of the Augustals), temple of the augustales or priests of the Imperial cult. We continue our walk and you can still read the written advertisement, where we can understand the price and the quality of wine. Not far away from Herculaneum, there is OPLONTIS. Today it is located in Torre Annunziata. You can visit a villa that traditionally belonged to the famous roman woman Poppea Sabina, the second wife of the Emperor Nero. The Villa has a swimming pool outstanding in size.
Duration: 1 day
ITINERARY 3: PAESTUM & SALERNO
This is an itinerary to discover one of the most beautiful places of Magna Graecia (the southern part of the Italian peninsula for the Ancient Greeks), the ancient Poseidonia then Paestum, not far from Salerno. We enter the Museum where among the many elements there are paintings (including the famous frescoes of the "Diver's Tomb"), weapons, and Greek vases in ceramic or bronze. Everything testimonies this culture, one of the most important cultures of antiquity. We leave the Museum and we walk to the archaeological area. We admire the Doric temples made with a kind of limestone that changes colour at sunset, which probably are dedicated to Hera. What a strange change! One time Paestum was famous for its roses, today it's famous for the delicious “mozzarella di bufala”. We continue our trip reaching Salerno, one time Etruscan land, then famous in the Middle Ages for the “Scuola Medica Salernitana, School of Medicine, known throughout Europe and not only. Salerno has a well preserved historical medieval center. Recently Salerno has a new Museum "the D-day Museum." Violent bombings destroyed the city before the landing of the Allies and the expulsion of the Nazis. Inside the Museum we can see uniforms, weapons, an original U.S.A. tank (one Sherman).
Duration: 1 day
CUSTOMIZED ITINERARY
You may request an itinerary designed exclusively for you.
For a tailored journey, write me what your needs and travel desires are.
italiano | english | español