Good morning everyone! You will remember that a few years ago, in presenting what we called "the daughters of Vesuvius", i.e. the cities destroyed by the eruption of 79 AD, we spoke at length about Pompeii and Herculaneum, while we limited ourselves to a few hints about Oplontis and Stabiae, which they were inaccessible by wheelchair at the time.
Well, we are pleased to inform you that today both sites are accessible to disabled people; for the moment we have visited Oplontis, but we plan to visit the villas of Stabiae soon too.
A few words to introduce the archaeological area of Torre Annunziata? Nothing better than the text found on the official website of Pompeii, given that Oplontis is also under the jurisdiction of the body that also manages Stabiae, Longola and other smaller sites:
Among the Vesuvian archaeological sites, buried following the dramatic eruption of 79 AD, Oplontis is probably the one that offers the most significant monumental evidence of the Pompeian suburb.
The set of Roman buildings discovered, starting from the Bourbon era, in the modern city of Torre Annunziata, can be referred to a real peripheral urban centre, subject to the administrative jurisdiction of Pompeii.
What characterizes Oplontis is the presence of two monumental buildings of different destinations: villa A (so-called villa di Poppea), a grandiose and luxurious residential complex and villa B (by L. Crassius Tertius), currently not open to public, corresponding to a company whose activity was centered on the processing of land products, in particular wine and oil.
Currently the only visitable monument of ancient Oplontis is a large residential villa, not entirely brought to light, dating back to the mid-1st century BC. and enlarged in the early imperial age. In ancient times the villa overlooked the sea in a panoramic position and was equipped with splendid decorative devices of which exceptional evidence is preserved.
It may have belonged to Poppaea Sabina, second wife of the emperor Nero, or to her family's estate, based on the testimony of an inscription painted on an amphora mentioning Sucundus, one of his slaves or freedmen.
At the time of the eruption the building must have been largely uninhabited due to ongoing works, perhaps started following seismic damage, which involved the removal of many architectural and decorative elements.
If you want to delve further into the topic, this is the link to the website, from which you can also download a detailed guide in pdf format.
What about accessibility for us? Here is what is reported on the site, with the instructions that we followed scrupulously and thanks to which we were able to enter the car at a secondary entrance:
Upon request it is possible to access the villa through an facilitated access with entrance from via Margherita di Savoia.
We recommend calling +39 0818621755 well in advance to open the entrance gate.
Internally overcoming architectural barriers is guaranteed by small wooden and steel ramps.
Inside the villa there are descriptive panels, monitors, digital media and QR codes to access the apps.
Let's start with the images of colonnades, frescoes, statues and various objects found in the Villa di Poppea:
Once this very pleasant visit to the Villa di Poppea is over, where can we refresh ourselves? If we came by car, we recommend that you travel a few kilometers to go to Torre del Greco, where there is this excellent restaurant:
La Voce del Mare (*)
Via Spiaggia del Fronte 22, Torre del Greco
+39 081 358 0406
(*) symbol indicating the presence of toilets equipped for disabled people
UNTIL NEXT TIME !!!
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