Pompeii Tours from Rome and Naples
Pompei is certainly the most important archaeological site in Campania. Visited every year by almost 1 million of people from all over the world. An average tour lasts 2 hours but you can spend there also a full day. The town was founded by the Oscans after the union of 5 villages In their language 5 is "PEMPO OR POMPE", that's why the name.
Like other local cities it was occupied or influenced by other populations like the Greeks, the Etruscans and the samnites. It became a roman colony in 89 B.C. Its age of splendour as one of the most important commercial city in southern Italy with almost 20.000 inhabitants, lasted until 62 A.D. when a terrible earthquake badly damaged it.
But it was in 79 A.D. when mount Vesuvius burst out ,that Pompeii was completely buried and forgotten for almost 18 centuries only the 3/5 of the city have been excavated and they are still going on. Not to be missed are The forum area, the thermal baths, the amphitheatre and the Villa dei Misteri.