Herculaneum, as the myth goes, was founded by Hercules. The town does have Greek origins, the city having come into existence sometime in the 6th century B.C. The Romans had conquered Herculaneum by 89 B.C. and soon the city became a high-class resort with many wealthy Roman residences. The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, however, plunged the city into a huge river of boiling mud and debris twenty meters deep. The population probably had time to reach the sea, but they perished in the first of a series of pyroclastic surges of ash and hot gases, as evidenced by the human remains found lying next to boats.
In 1709 an Austrian General, Prince d'Elboeuf, hearing of treasures being unearthed near his estate at Portici, bought the land and engaged workers to begin to dig. They discovered part of Herculaneum's theater and in 1738 the Villa of the Papyri - an area still not open to the public - was found with a library consisting of about 2,000 papyrus scrolls. Today, the scrolls are housed in the Naples National Library and the artifacts found in the villa are located downtown at the National Archeological Museum.
After you leave the ticket office, a long bridge curves above the entire ancient city, giving a bird's eye view of its streets and buildings. Some say that visitors who have scant time should choose Herculaneum over Pompeii because the city is better preserved, and most impressively, the structures include original wood materials that normally would have decayed if the city hadn't been covered by volcanic ash.
At the ticket office, pick up a map as well as the explanatory brochure. Then, you can follow this self-guided tour:
From the bridge, you enter a cobblestone street. Walking all the way down here, former homes on either side, take a right when the street ends. Along here, you'll find the Welder's Shop. Inside, there's a terra-cotta vat and a smelting crucible. The welder cooled forged pieces of metal here. Along this street, you'll also find a lead pipe. This is evidence that Herculaneum had a well developed plumbing system.
Take a right down another street and you immediately come to the House of Nero's Living Room. This villa shows the opulence and grandeur of villas through its large atrium and faded frescoes.
A little further along this road is the most impressive villa of the entire site - the House of the Neptune and Amphitrite. At the back of this house, a wall mosaic sparkles with blues, reds, and coral pink.
The Trellis House is further along this road still. This was a boarding house for lower class families. Impressively, the house still has its original wood and reed laths.
Go down to the end of this street and turn left and left again. You enter the House of the Stags where excavators found round marble tables and sculptures of stags and dogs. This villa once had a view to the sea.
Leave the villa and turn left up the street to the Gymnasium. To your right, a vast area was once dedicated to sporting activities and a tunnel inside the gymnasium once led to an indoor pool. Now, a large hydra replica adorns the hollow space.
Return back toward the House of the Stags and follow the stairs until you reach the Ancient Beach where archeologists found the skeletons of more than three hundred people who tried to escape in boats. You can see the arches of former boathouses and, looking at the cliff above, appreciate the level to which the city was covered by volcanic debris. A nine-meter long ship was also discovered here.
Just above the port area are the sumptuous Suburban Baths, built around 40 A.D. The elegant marble decoration indicates an up-market clientele for this bath complex. When the hot mud poured in, a labrum, or tub, was torn from its stand and the impression of it remains in the solidified lava.
From here a bridge passes over the port area and into a tunnel where stairs take you back to the entrance. Along the way back to the ticket office, an exhibition space houses a re-creation of a Roman ship.
Transportation: The present day town of Ercolano takes its name from Herculaneum. If you use a GPS or Mapquest, it's very easy to get there. The address is Traversa Via Alveo, Ercolano. A circumvesuviana train also runs to "Ercolano Scavi" station and it's a ten minute walk to the ruins.
Alternative Sights: From here, you can also visit the Portici Villas and the Golden Mile. You can also find great deals on all sorts of items at the Resina Via Pugliano market.
In 1709 an Austrian General, Prince d'Elboeuf, hearing of treasures being unearthed near his estate at Portici, bought the land and engaged workers to begin to dig. They discovered part of Herculaneum's theater and in 1738 the Villa of the Papyri - an area still not open to the public - was found with a library consisting of about 2,000 papyrus scrolls. Today, the scrolls are housed in the Naples National Library and the artifacts found in the villa are located downtown at the National Archeological Museum.
After you leave the ticket office, a long bridge curves above the entire ancient city, giving a bird's eye view of its streets and buildings. Some say that visitors who have scant time should choose Herculaneum over Pompeii because the city is better preserved, and most impressively, the structures include original wood materials that normally would have decayed if the city hadn't been covered by volcanic ash.
At the ticket office, pick up a map as well as the explanatory brochure. Then, you can follow this self-guided tour:
From the bridge, you enter a cobblestone street. Walking all the way down here, former homes on either side, take a right when the street ends. Along here, you'll find the Welder's Shop. Inside, there's a terra-cotta vat and a smelting crucible. The welder cooled forged pieces of metal here. Along this street, you'll also find a lead pipe. This is evidence that Herculaneum had a well developed plumbing system.
Take a right down another street and you immediately come to the House of Nero's Living Room. This villa shows the opulence and grandeur of villas through its large atrium and faded frescoes.
A little further along this road is the most impressive villa of the entire site - the House of the Neptune and Amphitrite. At the back of this house, a wall mosaic sparkles with blues, reds, and coral pink.
The Trellis House is further along this road still. This was a boarding house for lower class families. Impressively, the house still has its original wood and reed laths.
Go down to the end of this street and turn left and left again. You enter the House of the Stags where excavators found round marble tables and sculptures of stags and dogs. This villa once had a view to the sea.
Leave the villa and turn left up the street to the Gymnasium. To your right, a vast area was once dedicated to sporting activities and a tunnel inside the gymnasium once led to an indoor pool. Now, a large hydra replica adorns the hollow space.
Return back toward the House of the Stags and follow the stairs until you reach the Ancient Beach where archeologists found the skeletons of more than three hundred people who tried to escape in boats. You can see the arches of former boathouses and, looking at the cliff above, appreciate the level to which the city was covered by volcanic debris. A nine-meter long ship was also discovered here.
Just above the port area are the sumptuous Suburban Baths, built around 40 A.D. The elegant marble decoration indicates an up-market clientele for this bath complex. When the hot mud poured in, a labrum, or tub, was torn from its stand and the impression of it remains in the solidified lava.
From here a bridge passes over the port area and into a tunnel where stairs take you back to the entrance. Along the way back to the ticket office, an exhibition space houses a re-creation of a Roman ship.
Transportation: The present day town of Ercolano takes its name from Herculaneum. If you use a GPS or Mapquest, it's very easy to get there. The address is Traversa Via Alveo, Ercolano. A circumvesuviana train also runs to "Ercolano Scavi" station and it's a ten minute walk to the ruins.
Alternative Sights: From here, you can also visit the Portici Villas and the Golden Mile. You can also find great deals on all sorts of items at the Resina Via Pugliano market.
About the Author:
Looking to find out more about Naples Napoli, then visit www.naplesnapoliguide.com where you'll find self-guided tours of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
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