Villa di Poppea

We are up early and off to the Villa di Poppea.  This villa was buried by Mt.Vesuvius in 79 AD at the same time that Pompeii was buried.  This villa belonged to Emperor Nero's 2nd wife. This is said to be one of the finest examples of the Roman frescoes and mosaics in a beautiful architectural setting.

The first excavation took place in 700, the 2nd half of the 19th century and again in 1964.

 The city built on top is surrounding this area and keeps the excavations from progressing further.

Tile floors that are still in place after all these years.

The colors are still vivid.

 Kitchen.  Wood fires were built in the lower arches.  Heat from the kitchen was pumped through ducts in the floor and walls of the elaborate private baths.

Walls with great detail of painted columns and birds to give the impression of being in the garden.  What is interesting about the above fresco is the sense of perspective.  Note that in the colonnades. Drawings with this type of perspective did not become common until well into the Renaissance.

This swimming pool is bigger than an Olympic size pool. It had an expanse of 60 meters.  It is still in very good shape.  We can only see some of it as the rest can't be excavated because it is under the "new city".

 Rooms that look into gardens and when they couldn't face a real garden, they would draw garden scenes on the walls.

 Notice the wonderful detail still visible in these frescoes.

On the way home we were serenaded by a trio of locals that jumped on the train then passed the hat.

Ciao :-)