Andante Travels

Introduction

Nowhere in the world could give a deeper insight into Roman life than the dramatic seaside towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, where life came to an abrupt halt with the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.

We spend one whole day in Pompeii, exploring public buildings, private houses and shops, bars and brothels, where the occupants left evidence of their everyday lives, as well as their frantic attempts to escape the disaster. There is also the opportunity to return for an afternoon in your own time, to
consolidate and extend what you saw with your Guide Lecturer - something many past guests have requested.

The whole region was affected, of course, as our visits to other towns, villas and farms will reveal. Opulent seaside villas and modest farmsteads have returned, after 2000 years, to the light of day as the covering blanket of volcanic matter has been disturbed by later building activity, and more and more of the hidden landscape of the first century AD has emerged.

“It was not clear from which mountain the cloud was rising, but it was like an umbrella pine... Ashes were already falling, hotter and thicker, followed by bits of pumice and blackened stones. On Mount Vesuvius broad sheets of fire and leaping flames blazed at several points... They debated whether to stay indoors or take their chance in the open, for the buildings were now shaking with violent shocks, and seemed to be swaying to and fro as if they were torn from their foundations.” Pliny the Younger

Itinerary

Day One
Arrive Naples and drive to Corpo di Cava.

Day Two
Drive south to explore the temples, site and museum at Paestum. This was the Greek colony of Poseidonia, and its impressive remains include three of the best-preserved Doric temples anywhere in the Mediterranean, and the unique painted ‘Tomb of the Diver’. A brief stop at the site of the Heraion provides a context for the 6th century BC metopes displayed in the museum at Paestum.

 

 

Day Three
The whole day is spent exploring as much as possible of Pompeii, two-thirds of which has been excavated over more than 250 years. No other site can compare in revealing the scale and proportions of a Roman town. We arrange access to some of the best-preserved buildings, where visitor numbers are limited, and your Guide Lecturer will take you to a selection of the public monuments and private residences which best illustrate what life was like in this bustling port and market town. The fountains in the street, worn where thousands of people have rested their hands to take a drink; the stepping stones, wheel ruts and remnants of lead-piping along the pavement; the corner shrines and street signs; official graffiti in the streets and unofficial scratchings on house walls - all of human life in AD79 is here if you know where to look for it.

 

 

Day Four
Visit the exceptional collections of artefacts at the National Archaeological Museum at Naples. Many of the best wall-paintings were removed here in the early years of the excavations of the towns and villas, as were fine statuary, tableware and - much rarer - the incidental objects of everyday life... a unique collection indeed. Continue to Pozzuoli to see one of the largest and bestpreserved amphitheatres in the world. The passages and enclosures beneath the arena are particularly well preserved here, tranquil and cool now, but where once desperate humans and animals would have spent their last hours.

 

 

Day Five
A visit to Herculaneum perfectly complements a visit to Pompeii. Much less of the town has been excavated, but it was buried to a much greater depth, and what you see is better preserved. Wood and other organic remains were carbonised but still survive, as do upper storeys. A modest farm-house has been discovered at Boscoreale, named the Villa Regina, and a fine antiquarium has been opened beside it, displaying environmental evidence from sites destroyed in AD79.

Day Six
Two very fine and opulent villas have been preserved at Stabiae, the seaside town where Pliny met his death. The huge Villa Arianna has some very fine wall-paintings, including one of Dionysus finding the sleeping Ariadne, which gives the villa its name. The Villa of San Marco is equally well-endowed with lavish decoration and an elaborate bath-suite.
A choice of acitivities this afternoon - many past guests have requested some free time in Pompeii to explore the streets and houses by themselves, and we can therefore transport those who wish to and from the site. Others may like to have some time for shopping in the attractive town of Cava dei Tirreni, a short bus ride from the hotel. Or some may wish to stroll through the tiny village where the hotel lies, or just relax in the lovely pool and gardens.

Day Seven
Begin the day with an ascent of Vesuvius - mostly by bus, but the last part of the crater requires an uphill walk. The reward is amazing views both down into the crater, and out across
the Bay of Naples, putting everything you have seen during the week into perspective. The villa at Oplontis is one of many destroyed by the eruption, but is exceptional for the quality and preservation of its wall-paintings. The gardens have been replanted using, as far as possible, the sorts of shrubs and flowers which might originally have been grown.

 

 

Day Eight
If flight times allow, we will arrange a visit to the remarkable rock-cut monastery complex beneath the hill town where we are staying. Return flight from Naples.

Included

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Flights Scheduled flights from London to Naples.
• Transfers private coach provided to coincide with group flights
• Local Travel Private a/c coach.
• Hotel 7 nights in a lovely characterful family-run hotel in the tiny village of Corpo di Cava, with an indoor pool, set in the wooded hills above Cava dei Tirreni.
• Meals All meals included (dinners with wine & water) except lunch Days 3 & 8. Other lunches in trattorie / pizzerie (no picnics).
• Guide Lecturer (also local guides where these are compulsory)  Not to be confused with "guest lecturers"!  The guide lecturer will be with you from breakfast to supper, and probably even a drink in the bar afterwards.  There is the occasional site where they may not be allowed to guide because of local regulations (we normally manage to circumnavigate these) but otherwise the guides are just that. They will have been chosen because of specialist knowledge and their ability to communicate and interest you.  After 22 years of making tours worldwide, we are highly appreciative of the attributes of a good guide, and intensely critical of people who do not possess them.  If you would like to know more about Dr Judith Toms, Oliver Gilkes, Dr Gillian Shepherd, Alan French or Professor Alastair Small, please click their names.
• Tour Manager We never know how best to call the very special people whom we choose to accompany you on your tour.  They are usually employed in this capacity only by us, and have been trained to do things in the Andante way - unobtrusive, friendly and quietly efficient.
• Fieldnotes written for the tour
• Entry & tips Entry to all sites in programme; tips included.

Flights & Visa

Flights vary from tour to tour. Please contact the office for exact details.

Visa and Passport Requirements (for British passport holders only)

Passport must be valid for 3 months for the duration of your stay in Italy.

Hotel

 

This four-star hotel is located in wooded hills above the sea, in the village of Badia di Cava de' Tirreni.  It has lovely gardens, terraces and a heated indoor swimming pool. Hairdryers, kettles and tea-bags are provided in every room. Safety deposit boxes are available at reception. There is a friendly atmosphere in the bar next to the dining room, and a comfortable lounge with sofas and a log fire in the cooler months. There is also a terrace with tables and chairs which has a lovely view of the valley with mountains behind, perfect for mild evenings before dinner.

In the village there is a tobacconist and a small alimentari selling groceries. Banks and larger shops can be found in the nearby town of Cava de Tirreni. There is a pleasant short uphill walk (about 5 minutes) through the village from the coach park to the hotel entrance. Your luggage will be taken by minibus.

 

Map

Testimonials

What Did You Enjoy Most ?
"One of the things I appreciate particularly is the privileged or unscheduled visits which seem to occur on most trips."

"The combination on most of the site visits of a guided tour of the key features followed by time for independent exploration."

"I really enjoyed the hotel. The staff were friendly and helpful – the setting, food and hotel itself were beautiful."

"All round excellence – not too ambitious – no packing up and moving on."

"Difficult to say when I had such an enjoyable holiday. Perhaps as a personal goal having climbed Vesuvius and the visit to Herculaneum."

"The varied and comprehensive coverage of the history of the area, since prehistoric times. This greatly enriched my appreciation of life there in the 1st century AD."

"I enjoyed the depth of knowledge of the guides, the convivial atmosphere, the lack of pressure and the lovely situation of the hotel – very relaxing."

Reading List

This list is no more than a guide to some books that you may find useful to read in advance of the tour. Talks given on the tour will attempt to fill in the background to what we are seeing, so no prior knowledge or pre-tour cramming is expected or needed. Indeed you may find some of these books even more interesting and useful to read once the tour is over.  Some of the books are out of print, but in many cases they can be obtained through second-hand booksellers or your local library.

 

Guide Lecturer’s Choice: (if you only want to read one or two books)

• Ling, Roger (Tempus 2005) Pompeii – History, Life and Afterlife. Excellent summary of all the latest evidence from Pompeii, presented as a chronological survey of the town.
• Grant, M. (1971) Cities of Vesuvius. Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London. Still the best general introduction to Pompeii and Herculaneum, although rather dated in places.

New Books:

• Beard, Mary The Life of a Roman Town (Profile Books September 2008) – what sort of a town was Pompeii? This book tried to make sense of the remains, with headings like Bad Breath, Intestinal Parasites, Performing Monkeys, One-Way Streets, Water shortages……a new and interesting approach!
• Berry, Joanne The Complete Pompeii (Thames and Hudson Jan 2008). Readable, well-informed book which brings the reader up to date with thoughts about Pompeii, and results of recent research and excavations.

Easy Reads:

• Colin Amery & Brian Curran Jr, The Lost World of Pompeii (Frances Lincoln 2002)
• Alex Butterworth & Ray Laurence. (2005) Pompeii: The Living City. - written by an academic historian (one of Andante’s Guide Lecturers!) and a dramatist, using real individuals known from texts and inscriptions to build a compelling portrait of the city during its last 25 years.
• Connolly, P.  (1979) Pompeii. Aimed at children, but superbly researched reconstructions.
• Deiss, J.J.  (1987) Herculaneum. The only easily available popular study of Herculaneum, but now rather dated.
• Etienne, R. (1992) Pompeii: the day a city died. Thames & Hudson.  Beautifully produced with remarkable collection of illustrations.
• Potter, T. (1987) Roman Italy. British Museum Publications, London.  Best general background to the area available.   Now out of print but available from the USA through Amazon.com.

More Detailed Accounts:

• Claridge, A. & Ward-Perkins, J. (1976) Pompeii AD 79.  Royal Academy Exhibition Catalogue.  Very good general introduction, and widely available in second hand bookshops.
• Mau, A.  (1904) Pompeii, its life and art.  Still by far the best synthesis in English.
• Jashemski, W. F. & Mayer, F.G. (2002) The Natural History of Pompei.  A fascinating, but expensive, study of its subject.  Available from the USA through Amazon.com and, more cheaply, from their associates.
• An extensive range of publications can be bought at the bookshops in Naples Museum and at the major sites. A particularly good group are published by the Soprintendenza Archaeologica di Pompeii and include such titles as Around the Walls of Pompeii; Herculaneum, The Excavations, local history and surroundings.

Social & Economic History:

• Laurence, R.  (1994) Roman Pompeii: space and society.
• Wallace-Hadrill, A.F.  (1994) Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum
• Jongman, W. (1988) The Economy and Society of Pompeii AD79
• Zanker, P. (2001)   Pompeii: Public and Private Life.  Harvard University Press.

Art & Architecture:

• Richardson, L.  (1997) Pompeii - an architectural history. The John Hopkins University Press (available in paperback)  “... tells the story of the city and its buildings."
• Ramage, N. & Ramage, A. (2004)  Roman Art: Romulus to Constantine (Prentice Hall)
• Ling, R.  (1991) Roman Painting
• Pedley, J.G. (1990) Paestum: Greeks and Romans in Southern Italy

Ancient Sources on Pompeii:

• Cooley, A.E. & M.G.L. (2004) Pompeii: A Sourcebook. A compilation of the ancient references to Pompeii, including many of the graffiti, advertisements, and scribbled notices found on the walls of the city itself. (Routledge).

Guide Books:

All of the main series of guide books have volumes on Southern Italy and the choice depends on the number of illustrations and amount of detail which you feel you need.

• Pauls, M. & Facaros, D. (2003) Cadogan Guide to Bay of Naples & Southern Italy.  Very successful guide, highly enjoyable, readable information.

Maps:

• Campania and Basilicata, 1:200,000 scale, Italian Touring Club.
• Amalfi Coast, Kompass Map No. 682

Travel books

We recommend to you a publishing company with a mission to keep the classic works of travel literature in print. Eland and Sickle Moon Books produce an excellent catalogue of travellers’ literature, old and new.

0207 833 0762 – www.travelbooks.co.uk – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Archaeology books

Oxbow Books, based in Oxford, are suppliers of probably the biggest range of archaeology and history books. They produce a quarterly catalogue, and can be contacted on:

01865 241 249 – www.oxbowbooks.com – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Booking