Pompei (; nap, Pumpeje, ) or Pompeii (, as in the name of the ancient city) is a city and commune in the

Metropolitan City of Naples The Metropolitan City of Naples ( it, Città metropolitana di Napoli) is an Italian metropolitan city in Campania region, established on 1 January 2015. Its capital city is Naples; within the city there are 92 comunes (municipalities). It was ...

, Italy, home of the ancient Roman ruins of Pompeii that are part of the UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

History

Modern Pompei was founded in 1891 after the building of the

Shrine of Our Lady of Pompei A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they are ...

by the lawyer

Bartolo Longo Bartolo Longo (February 10, 1841 – October 5, 1926) was an Italian lawyer who has been beatified by the Roman Catholic Church. He was a former Satanic priest who returned to the Catholic faith and became a third order Dominican, dedicating ...

Geography

The town of Pompei is located at the eastern borders of its province, and its urban area is contiguous with

Scafati Scafati () is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno, in the Campania region of southern Italy. Geography Scafati is situated on the river Sarno. Under the bridge over the river into the village, the Sarno divides into a primary and tw ...

, in the

Province of Salerno The Province of Salerno ( it, Provincia di Salerno) is a province in the Campania region of Italy. __TOC__ Geography The largest towns in the province are: Salerno, the capital, which has a population of 131,950; Cava de' Tirreni, Battipagl ...

. It borders also with

Torre Annunziata Torre Annunziata (; nap, Torr'Annunziata) is a city and commune in the Metropolitan City of Naples, region of Campania in Italy. It is located on the Gulf of Naples at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. History The city was destroyed in the Vesuvius ...

Castellammare di Stabia Castellammare di Stabia (; nap, Castiellammare 'e Stabbia) is a ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania region, in southern Italy. It is situated on the Bay of Naples about southeast of Naples, on the route to Sorrento. History ...

Boscoreale Boscoreale (; "Royal Grove") is an Italian ''comune ''and town in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, with a population of 27,457 in 2011. Located in the Vesuvius National Park, under the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, it is known for the fruit ...

, Santa Maria la Carità and

Sant'Antonio Abate Sant'Antonio Abate ( nap, Sant'Antuono) is a '' commune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 30 km southeast of Naples. Sant'Antonio Abate borders the following municipalities: ...

Main attractions

The ancient city of Pompeii

Modern Pompei is mainly famous for the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii, located in the zone of Pompei Scavi. The vast archaeological area is under

Unesco The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

patronage and attracts tourists from all around the world.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompei

The

, dedicated to

Our Lady of the Rosary Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a Marian title. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Feast of Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October in the General Rom ...

, has become a site for

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

s in recent years. It houses a canvas by

Luca Giordano Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late- Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain. Ea ...

. It was founded by a convert who reportedly experienced a miracle from the Virgin Mary; miracles have been reported since its foundation. The ex-votos that cover the walls of the church are a testimonial of the miracles granted by the Virgin Mary since the church was consecrated in 1891. Many churches, chapels, and shrines around the world are dedicated to Our Lady of Pompei.

The bell tower

The bell tower was built between 1912 and 1925. Designed by

Aristide Leonori Aristide Leonori (28 July 1856 – 30 July 1928) was an Italian architect and engineer. He worked mostly on religious buildings in Italy, the United States, and Africa, in a variety of styles. Biography Born in Rome, the eldest of twelve childr ...

and his brother Pio Leonori, it is 80 metres high (260 ft). The top of the bell tower, which can be reached by taking a lift, allows visitors to enjoy a splendid view of the modern city,

Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma- stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of ...

and part of the ancient city of Pompeii.

Sacred architecture

* Church of San Salvatore * Church of Sacro Cuore di Gesù * Church of San Giuseppe sposo della Beata Vergine * Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo * Church of Immacolata Concezione * Church of Madonna dell'Arco * Chapel of Madonna delle Grazie * Church of Sacri Cuori di Gesù e Maria

Demographics

Transportation

Road

Pompei is served by the motorway A3 at the exits of Pompei-Scafati, Pompei Ovest (close to the ruins of

Villa of the Mysteries The Villa of the Mysteries ( it, Villa dei Misteri) is a well-preserved suburban ancient Roman villa on the outskirts of Pompeii, southern Italy. It is famous for the series of exquisite frescos in Room 5, which are usually interpreted as show ...

) and also Castellammare di Stabia. It is crossed by the national roads SS 18 and SS 145.

Railways

On the Naples-Salerno line, owned by FS, is situated the

main railway station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

and a little stop named Pompei Scavi (ruins of P.), closed in the 1970s. Onto two lines owned by the SFSM – Circumvesuviana, Pompei counts a total of 4 station. Pompei Santuario (P. Sanctuary, in the middle of the town) and Pompei Valle (close to Pompeii) lies on the Torre Annunziata-Pompei-Poggiomarino line. Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri (serving the

) and Moregine lie on the Naples-Torre Annunziata-Castellammare-

Sorrento Sorrento (, ; nap, Surriento ; la, Surrentum) is a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the south-eastern terminus of the Circumvesuviana rail ...

line.

Airports

The nearest airports are: *

Napoli-Capodichino Naples International Airport ( it, Aeroporto Internazionale di Napoli) is the intercontinental airport serving Naples and the Southern Italian region of Campania. According to 2019 data, the airport is the fifth-busiest airport in Italy and ...

(NAP) 28 km * Salerno-Pontecagnano (QSR) 49 km

Football

Pompei's main football team has been the A.S.D. Città di Pompei. The team no longer exists today.

Notable people

Agostino Abbagnale Agostino Abbagnale (born 25 August 1966) is an Italian Rowing (sport), rower and triple Olympic Games, Olympic gold medalist. He is the younger brother of multiple Olympic medalists Carmine Abbagnale and Giuseppe Abbagnale. Biography Abbagnale ...

(b. 1966), rower *

Pino D'Angiò Pino D'Angiò (born Giuseppe Chierchia, , August 14, 1952 in Pompeii) is an Italo disco artist. He is best known for his hit 1980 song, "Ma Quale Idea", which sold over 2 million copies in Europe. The bassline of the track was taken from "Ain't N ...

(b. 1952), disco artist * Felice Evacuo (b. 1982), footballer *

(1841–1926), catholic blessed * Gilda Sansone (b. 1989), fashion model *

Alberto Savino Alberto Savino (born 1 September 1973) is an Italian former footballer who played for Nola as a defender. Career Born in Pompei, the Province of Naples, Savino started his professional career at Serie C2 side Savoia which is based in Torre ...

(b. 1973), footballer * Vincenzo Sicignano (b. 1974), footballer *

Gaetano Vastola Gaetano Vastola (born 10 May 1978) is an Italian football player, who plays as defender for S.S. Racing Club Fondi. Career In the past he played with Scafatese, Giugliano, Narnese, Maceratese, Salernitana, Avellino, Ascoli Calcio 1898 a ...

(b. 1978), footballer *

Valentina Nappi Valentina Nappi (born 6 November 1990) is an Italian pornographic film actress and adult model. Life and career Born in Scafati, near Salerno, Nappi made her debut in the adult industry in 2011 with director Rocco Siffredi after she contacted ...

(b. 1990), adult film actress

Twin towns

Gyeongju Gyeongju ( ko, 경주, ), historically known as ''Seorabeol'' ( ko, 서라벌, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong ...

, South Korea *

Latiano Latiano ( Brindisino: ; Leccese: ) is a '' comune'' in the province of Brindisi in Apulia, on the southeast coast of Italy. Its main economic activities are tourism and the growing of olives and grapes. Bartolo Longo was a native of Latiano. ...

, Italy *

Noto Noto ( scn, Notu; la, Netum) is a city and in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy. It is southwest of the city of Syracuse at the foot of the Iblean Mountains. It lends its name to the surrounding area Val di Noto. In 2002 Noto and it ...

, Italy *

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...

, Spain *

Xi'an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by #Name, other names, is the list of capitals in China, capital of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Province. A Sub-provincial division#Sub-provincial municipalities, sub-provincial city o ...

, China

Gallery

File:Santuario Pompei 01 - Esterni.jpg, Sanctuary of Pompei File:Napoli pompei 023.JPG, The Roman ruins of Pompeii File:Citrus store at Pompeii.JPG, A citrus store on a central road File:Pompei 25-4-08 064.jpg, The FS railway station

References

External links

Official websitePompei Tourism InfoOfficial tour guides of PompeiPhoto Gallery by Leonardo Bellotti
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Campania Populated places established in 1891 1891 establishments in Italy