Discovering Pompeii

The students entered the city through the Porta di Nocera where an official guide welcomed them. She first gave themgeneral information in English about the city which is on the UNESCO list since 1997 : its history from its foundation in the 6th century BC to its destruction in 79 AD when it was buried under 4 to 6 m  of volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. She also explained the different stages of the excavation works and the city’s presentconservation issues.

Then she guided them through the streets of the ancient city, taking breaks along the way in significant places to givedetails about daily life and Roman civilization. 

She showed them pictures of the places as they probably used to be in ancient times, making the tour more interesting and vivid. After the guided tour, the students were given some free time to discover the city by themselves or with theirteachers. Largely preserved under the ash, the excavated city offered the students a unique snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the moment. Although much of the detailed evidence of the everyday life of its inhabitants was lost in the excavations, the students had the opportunity to see its well-preserved buildings, thermopoliums, frescoes, the remains of the forum, the amphitheatre, etc.. Pompeii being  is the only archaeological site in the world that offers the complete vision of an ancient Roman city, it was a unique opportunity to link what they learnt at school with reality on the ground. 

The students were really impressed by the discovery ot the ancient city of Pompeii. They were very enthusiastic and learnta lot about Roman cilization in a concrete situation. No doubt they will have found there a renewed motivation in theirstudies. They will remember that unique experience all their life, which they shared with their Italian and Portuguesefriends. 

As the explanations and comments  were given in English, they also improved their foreign language skills.