Students discover ancient beauties
Last weekend, Umbra students in the Roman Civilization class embarked upon a trip to Southern Italy to see the
wonders of Pompei, Ercolano, and the Neapolitan area – a cradle of ancient beauties. They left very early on Friday morning, and after a four-hour drive they got to Ercolano to see the ruins of the city, which was completely flooded with lava and volcanic materials back in 79 AD. Professor Giampiero Bevagna managed to intrigue not only students, but even a group of American tourists, who kindly asked if they could join the class for the visit. He made them realize how powerful the eruption must have been, since the city was formerly on the beach – a sort of five-star Caribbean resort – and now it is 6 km away from the ocean.
The second day students visited Pompei ruins, on the other side of the Vesuvius. All of them were struck by the grandness of the dead city: It is a complete city that still hides incredible beauties within the walls. Student Kayla Peterson was disappointed by the absence of the famous plastered dog, currently in an exhibition in Madrid. They all admired the theatre, the House of the Faun, and the Forum incredibly preserved.
Students then visited the National Archeological Museum of Naples, where many “frescoes” from the ruins were taken in the XIXth century, including the notorious “secret cabinet,” where all the images with some erotic reference were hidden due to prurient taboos in the Borboni court when Pompei was first dug up from the ground.
On Sunday, students visited the Piscina Mirabilis, a unique and huge water-tank in the Capo Miseno Peninsula, before taking a look at the Archeological Museum and Archeological Park of Baia. They then rested in the sun on a beautiful beach before taking the bus back to Perugia.