insediamento, area urbana, insediamento urbano

The ancient city, as revealed by excavations that have uncovered it from the eighteenth century to the present day, presents the appearance it had in AD 79, at the moment of the volcanic eruption, already scarred by the earthquake that had devastated the Vesuvian area in AD 62. The city is divided into blocks defined by the intersection of streets within the walls, which are pierced by four gates. These lead to the suburban area, characterised by extra-mural residential complexes, among them the famous Villa of the Mysteries, and by the necropolises that, following Roman custom, lined the outer stretches of the roads.

The division of the urban area into regions (quarters) and insulae (blocks) dates to 1858, when Giuseppe Fiorelli, then director of excavations, devised the scheme for study and orientation. Entering the city from Porta Marina, one immediately encounters the forum with its public buildings, including the Temple of Apollo in its Roman-era form, though the sacred area has far older phases reaching back to the Archaic period. The streets, which retain their basalt paving with deep carriage-wheel ruts, are flanked by public and private buildings. Public bath complexes, theatres and gymnasiums, warehouses and shops alternate with luxurious residential complexes such as the House of the Faun.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.