Audio Guide Details
- Duration
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Product Type
- Audio Guide
- Venues
-
- Pompeii Archaeological Site
- Pompeii
- Pompeiian frescoes
Preview
The Rise, Fall, and Rediscovery of Pompeii: An Audio Guide
Start: Entrance to Pompeii
Santuario di Apollo
Via Marina
Photos & Highlights
Audio Guide Description
- Learn the history of Pompeii at any time, on your own schedule
- Hit play together and stroll the city or wander solo, but always with an expert in your ear as your personal guide
Once a thriving city, Pompeii was frozen in time when, in October 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted after centuries of rest, burying the city in layers of ash, pumice, and volcanic matter. On this audio guide tour with Context Travel Expert Roberta Meomartini, you'll learn about the perfectly preserved city's history and its former inhabitants.Â
Your journey through the UNESCO World Heritage Site starts at Porta Marina, one of the city's entrances, where Roberta will paint a picture of what life was like before the eruption. On your way to the Foro di Pompei (Pompeii Forum), once the center of everyday life, you'll see three stepping stones that kept Romans' feet out of the rainwater and animal waste that sometimes filled the streets.
As you make your way through the city, you'll enter richly decorated homes and their impressively preserved mosaics, as well as retail and service buildings. You'll see the Building of Eumachia, possibly a former wool market, and find out how urine was used to treat leather. Along the way, you'll visit the House of the Faun which once belonged to a wealthy resident, the House of the Vettii which belonged to freed slaves, and one of the old public bathhouses, Terme Stabiane. You'll find out how frescoes once served as ancient advertisements, depicting loaves of bread, fish, and chicken. As you make your way to Quadriporticus of the theaters, a monumental structure and gathering spot where our audio tour ends, you'll hear the riveting tale of Pompeii's rise, fall, and rediscovery.
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On this 75-minute Pompeii audio guide tour, you'll:
- Explore Santuario di Apollo (the Sanctuary of Apollo), the oldest place of worship in Pompeii which was rebuilt and redecorated over the centuries in different architectural styles, including Greek and Roman
- Admire the Basilica Pompeiana and spot some of the remaining red paint that once decorated its walls
- Visit the food market and social center of Pompeii, the Macellum, to discover mosaics, richly decorated homes, and the survival of carbonized loaves of bread
- Relive the moment citizens were woken up by the volcanic eruption, thanks to casts that have helped archaeologists capture their final moments
- Decode the meaning behind the phallic symbols found around Pompeii, and find out how they became good luck charms over time
- Hear about how Pompeians enjoyed hot water over 2,000 years ago
- Venture into Lupanare di Pompei, an ancient brothel adorned with frescoes that mention several Greek and Oriental prostitutes, along with intriguing comments from customers
- Discover the Romans' love for open-air theaters, culture, and entertainment, at Teatro Piccolo (the small theater) where poetry readings and plays took place, and Teatro Grande (the large theater) which hosted gladiator spectaclesÂ
- Pop into one of the over 30 ancient bakeries and learn how carbonized loaves of bread survived the volcano
- See Thermopolium, a fast-food restaurant, and gain insight into daily life in ancient Pompeii
By the end of this unforgettable audio tour that peels back the layers of Pompeii's past, you'll have a better understanding of the vibrant, ancient city frozen in time.
Please note: An admission ticket is required to access the Pompei Archaeological Park, which can be purchased here. The park is open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM with the last entrance at 5:30 PM from April 1st to October 31st, and it is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM with the last entrance at 3:30 PM from November 1st till March 1st. The audio guide tour begins at the Marine Gate.
Please note: An admission ticket is required to access the Pompei Archaeological Park, which can be purchased here. The park is open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM with the last entrance at 5:30 PM from April 1st to October 31st, and it is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM with the last entrance at 3:30 PM from November 1st till March 1st. The audio guide tour begins at the Marine Gate.
Meet Your Expert
Roberta is based in Naples and has a degree in History of Art from the University of Naples. She specialized in Cultural Heritage Conservation at postgraduate level at the Università degli Studi Suor Orsola Benincasa. With the aim of raising awareness of cultural heritage, especially among students and children, she professionally trained as a licensed tour guide for her hometown of Naples, including the archaeological sites around Mount Vesuvius, the Phlegraean Fields and for all the sites and museums in the region where she lives. She has also specialized as a tour guide for the blind. Roberta looks forward to sharing her passion for art, culture, and the Neapolitan lifestyle with visitors on Context tours. She loves food and is always ready to smile!
How do I access the audio guide and download it for offline use?
Once you complete your purchase, you will receive a voucher code for your Audio Guide. You must download the Voicemap app and enter the code.Â
- Install VoiceMap from the Apple App Store or Google Play
- Create an account
- Select Tour Codes from the menu, then select Enter Codes
- Enter your Voucher Code
- Select Download Now
Is closed captioning (i.e. subtitles) available?
Yes! All of our audio guides have the option to turn on closed captioning should you have difficulty hearing the expert.
How long does each event last?
Our recorded audio guides typically run for 75 minutes.
How can I share this audio guide with friends or family?
You are welcome to listen together with friends or family, but each person listening to the guide on their own device will need to purchase the audio guide individually.
How long does my access to the audio guide last?
Once you purchase an audio guide, you are welcome to listen to it as many times as you would like. Your access to a purchased audio guide does not expire.
What is your cancellation and refund policy?
Sales for recorded audio guides are final upon purchase. Please contact us at digital@contexttravel.com if you have any questions or concerns about your purchase.
Can I purchase a gift card for a friend who is traveling?
Absolutely! Gift cards can be purchased here. Gift cards are good for 365 days from the date of purchase.
2 Reviews
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Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
It was good, the right amount of information & the length was good.
Lesley
Mar. 2, 2024
This audio guide made our visit to Pompeii unforgettable! It’s such a special experience to explore a site as vast as Pompeii at your own pace with surprising stories in your ear to bring the site to life. It was much more interesting than going without any guidance and much more flexible than going with a big tour group. We had our 7-month-old with us and appreciated that we could stop any time. Without Roberta’s fantastic narration we never would have known many of the ways the city is so similar to the cities of today including everything from the street grid to the ways the wealthy aristocrats lived so differently from their poorer neighbors. I’ll never visit an ancient archeological site without an audio guide again!
Zack
Jan. 31, 2024
