Day 13: Herculaneum & the Naples Archeological Museum
HerculaneumWe know that most people choose to visit Pompeii over Herculaneum, but as we were coming from Rome and wanted to also have time to see the museum in Naples, we chose smaller but in many ways better preserved, Herculaneum. Herculaneum was a more exclusive place to live than much larger Pompeii. It was covered in volcanic mud which better preserved the structures (some to multiple stories), the colors on the walls, and the wooden parts of houses. I never expected to see so much wood - doors, balconies, beds and shelves - but rather than burn, the wood carbonized. Tons and tons of mud had to be removed to reveal what we were able to see, and there is so much more to be revealed. Visiting Herculaneum was a real treat!
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Pro-Tip: To do this on your own using public transportation as we did get tickets from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale, head downstairs to Garibaldi station and buy tickets at the window near the turnstiles for the Circumvesuviana. Head in the direction of Sorrento and get off at Ercolano (Herculaneum).
Naples Archeological Museum
This museum is the repository for a lot of ancient art. It has large statues as well as art from Pompeii and Herculaneum because Naples Bourbon king asked that the best of what was gathered be sent to him when excavations were first started in the late 1700s.