The ancient city of Pompeii, since its first emerge from the volcanic ash, attracted scholars and artists. However, at the beginning, the site was not adequate for the reception of visitors, as it is testified by the famous letter written in 1792 by the engineer La Vega to the King, in which La Vega complained about the lack of facilities to accommodate the visitors and travellers. In this letter, the engineer encouraging the construction of a sort of „educational- museum‟ ante litteram, thus suggesting to build an inn and a tavern, on the model of the Pompeian houses, to show to the guests the real configuration of the ancient dwellings. In case of prestigious travellers predetermined touristic paths: visits „in the moonlight‟, horseback riding, visits on carriages, breakfasts and refreshments were accurately planned and organized within the ancient walls, sometimes including the direct participation of the prestigious guests to the excavation activities. These initiatives have been discovered through an in-depth analysis of the documents, and their narration has enabled us to reconstruct in a very precise way the routes and the means of access, as well as the organization of the archaeological site.

“Visiting excavations in the evening, in the moonlight and on horseback”: the touristic organization of Pompeii in historical times,

danila jacazzi
2019

Abstract

The ancient city of Pompeii, since its first emerge from the volcanic ash, attracted scholars and artists. However, at the beginning, the site was not adequate for the reception of visitors, as it is testified by the famous letter written in 1792 by the engineer La Vega to the King, in which La Vega complained about the lack of facilities to accommodate the visitors and travellers. In this letter, the engineer encouraging the construction of a sort of „educational- museum‟ ante litteram, thus suggesting to build an inn and a tavern, on the model of the Pompeian houses, to show to the guests the real configuration of the ancient dwellings. In case of prestigious travellers predetermined touristic paths: visits „in the moonlight‟, horseback riding, visits on carriages, breakfasts and refreshments were accurately planned and organized within the ancient walls, sometimes including the direct participation of the prestigious guests to the excavation activities. These initiatives have been discovered through an in-depth analysis of the documents, and their narration has enabled us to reconstruct in a very precise way the routes and the means of access, as well as the organization of the archaeological site.
2019
978-88-492-3752-8
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11591/407373
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