Cultural Travels from Home: an Evening Tour of Pompeii

INTRODUCTION

In our series of online webinars, we visit artists, art historians and guides in cultural cities around the world and enjoy an hour’s guided tour, museum visit or demonstration. The visits are live and interactive, allowing you to ask questions. These webinars will enable you to gain special access to sites, studios and galleries whilst at the same time providing a wonderful opportunity to travel virtually from home, no matter your location.

Today we return again to the world famous archaeological site of Pompeii for a live, guided tour in the company of expert archaeologist Dr Raffaele Romano who is also one of the site’s most authoritative and enthusiastic guides. All bookings will include a donation / “virtual entrance ticket” which will help support the site.  The walk will be different from our previous visits as we will explore other areas of the site, so please do join us again if you attended any previous Pompeii tours!!

SUMMARY

Our tour will start from the far northern corner of Pompeii at the famous Castellum Aquae, a roman cistern allowing us to appreciate the high level of development achieved by hydraulic engineering at the time. From here we’ll go to the Domus of Leda and the Swan (visible from outside) whose sensual fresco representing the famous mythological seduction was only recently discovered.  Walking down towards via di Stabia, we will then spend time at the great House of the Faun, admiring a perfect and typical roman Domus complete with its famous statue and the great mosaic of Alexander the Great.

Archaeologists in Pompeii have recently uncovered a fresco which depicts what seems to be an ancestor of the modern pizza! We will learn more about this exciting discovery during the live tour.

Our visit will end at the Forum.

The tour is interactive, so you will be able to put questions to our guide throughout the visit.

Dr Romano is an archaeologist specialising in the iconic heritage of the archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum. He holds a degree in Archaeology, an M.A. in Classical Archaeology and a Ph.D. in Archaeological Heritage, with a thesis on Pompeii. Dr Romano has excavated at Pompeii and is part of an international team of archaeologists researching the northern side of Vesuvius. He has also worked as an archaeologist for the Vatican. In 2019 the city of Pompeii awarded him honorary citizenship and in March 2021, during an excavation at Pompeii, Dr Romano found the remains of an extra-urban villa, an exciting discovery which has received much international coverage, which he will tell us more about during the tour. He is a highly personable and authoritative guide whose enthusiasm and passion are infectious!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

This is a live event starting at 5.00pm (UK time).  It will last approximately one hour including interactive Q&A. Tune in live from anywhere in the world, or if you cannot participate live, you will automatically be sent a recording soon after the end of the session enabling you to watch later that day or during the following 2 days. Please note, the recording is only available to those who have not been able to participate live, and it is not possible to purchase a recording after booking has closed.

Booking closes the day before the event is streamed. Please refer to the Further Information panel below.