Pompeii

Italy

Key Dates

Pompeii was destroyed and buried when the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted in August, 79AD. It was lost for almost 1700 years before its rediscovery in 1748.

Key People

The excavated town offers a snapshot of Roman life in the 1st century, frozen at the moment it was buried on August 24, 79AD. At the time of the eruption, Pompeii could have had some 20,000 inhabitants, and was in an area where Romans had their holiday villas.

Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples and Caserta in the Italian region of Campania.

Along with Herculaneum, its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed, and completely buried, during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days on August 24, 79AD. The volcano collapsed higher roof-lines and buried Pompeii under many meters of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1700 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1748.

Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. Today, it is both one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy, with 2,571,725 visitors in 2007, and a UNESCO World Heritage.

Admission Fee

Single ticket - valid for 1 day
Full price: €11.00
Half price: €5.50 (*)

Free of charge: for EU citizens under 18 or over 65 years old.

(*) Reductions: for EU citizens aged 18-24 and EU permanent school teachers.
Reductions and free tickets can be issued only by showing a valid document (passport, identity card, driving license).

Related Websites

Pompeii

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