One of Italy’s most popular tourist attractions, Pompeii is a must visit if you are planning a trip to Italy.
The ruined city of Pompeii lies at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano whose eruption in AD 79 engulfed and subsequently encased the city in six meters of ash and pumice-stone. Excavated over several centuries, what we see today, together with the neighboring site of Herculaneum, gives the finest example anywhere of a Roman town and its way of life. It's easy to see why this is one of Italy's most popular attractions for tourists. Only 16 years before its destruction, Pompeii was badly damaged by an earthquake from which its population of 20,000 had not yet finished rebuilding.
Here are some tourists attractions that are worth to see.
The Brothel
The brothel is a tiny house with stone beds and scenes of the acts customers could pay for. It’s ancient porn and is one of the most-visited houses in all of Pompeii.
The Forum Baths
Located near the forum, these baths are incredibly well preserved, and you can even peek inside the wall to see how they heated the baths.
The Forum
The most crowded place in Pompeii, the forum is right near the main gate. It was the main center of life in Pompeii and is also were you can go see the relics they found.
The Stabian Baths
Another well-preserved bath, this one is the oldest in Pompeii, has a slightly bigger chamber, and sees a whole lot less crowds. You can also see some preserved bodies here.
Theaters
Built into the sloping ground, the Teatro Grande (Large Theater) could seat 5,000 spectators and is used for Son et lumière shows in summer. The top row commands one of the best views of the city and Vesuvius. The adjoining Teatro Piccolo (Little Theater), better preserved and the earliest example of a roofed Roman theater, dates to about 75 BC. It would have been used mainly for musical performances. East of the Little Theater is the Tempio di Giove Meilichio and the adjacent Tempio di Iside - Temple of Isis - you can still see an inscription scratched on its walls by the French novelist Stendhal in 1817. Enter the tree-shaded Triangular Forum, intended mainly for theater-goers, through a fine arcade to get to gladiators' barracks. Inscriptions recording their successes in gladiatorial games were found on its columns.
House of Menander
The large, well-preserved House of Menander belonged to a wealthy merchant who gave notice of his status right at the entrance, which is flanked by pillars with Corinthian capitals. The well-preserved atrium has a little temple in one corner and an intact wooden roof that extends out to the center opening, where water drained to collect in the pool below. Interior rooms are decorated with scenes from Homer's Iliad, and the peristyle is surrounded by a beautiful painted colonnade. Adjoining this is the charming little House of the Lovers, named for an inscription that translates "lovers, like bees, wish life to be as sweet as honey."
House of the Faun
This is the biggest house in Pompeii and gets its name from the statue in the front courtyard. There’s a large courtyard in the back where you can also find a very detailed mosaic of a battle scene.
The Amphitheater
Dating from 80 BC, the massive Amphitheater at the far end of Pompeii, which seated 12,000 spectators, is the oldest surviving Roman amphitheater. Right next to it is the Palaestra, with colonnades around three sides and a swimming pool in the center. Beyond the Porta di Nocera, outside the city walls, is a necropolis (cemetery), much like those that lay outside the walls of all Roman (and other) ancient towns.