Mafia, Volcanos And Pizza

Heading South

My last day in Rome for half a week was spent filling in the blanks, not so much with what I hadn’t seen in Rome but with what I had missed in Paris. Heading to the outskirts of the city, the first thing on the itinerary was a visit to the road that everyone was talking about when they said All roads lead to Rome. Via Appia Antica was built over 2300 years ago and was the main artery into Rome from the South East for the majority of it’s life. Lined with ancient villas slowly falling into disrepair, it is now more like a country lane with trees overhanging the road then a major artery. The road itself still has sections of the original cobbles… but I use the term cobbles with a bit of liberty. The stones used look like basalt and most are about a metre round, worn down over centuries to create a glossy finish that looks a little eerie. Maybe that was done on purpose though because this was the road that an Emperor lined with over 6000 heads on stakes after Spartacus revolted in the first century.

Being outside the city this road also became perfect for the second and main reason for trekking out here. After missing the Catacombs in Paris, I was determined to see even older ones here in Italy. Up until the third century the Romans cremated their dead and buried them either on their farms or in mass graves. When Christianity began to gain more momentum and the story of the rebirth of Christ was spread, citizens began to buried their dead in these catacombs in the off chance that one day they might be resurrected. The Catacombs Of San Sebastiano were built after the remains of Saint Sebastian were interred there after killed. The story goes that he was shot with arrows by the Emperor’s guards for spreading Christianity but didn’t die. He was nursed back to health by an old lady and when better he returned to Rome to confront the Emperor, not about his assassination but about the need for the Roman Empire to convert to this religion. The Emperor had him killed but then it was only a couple of Emperors later when they did decide to convert. Needless to say, with such a small, compact city, cemeteries were not allowed to be inside the city walls because of space and hygiene so the catacombs were built on Via Appia Antica. Later, when Saint Sebastian’s remains were discovered there a church was built in his name on top of the catacombs and for 1500 years the tombs of the dead were forgotten under the church. Now days you can visit the top two levels of the catacombs and see not just the sarcophagi (empty of course) but the mausoleums built there before being closed over. A little spooky but definitely worth the trek.

The next day I was back on the train again and heading South. Naples (or Napoli) is famous for many reasons… the two main ones being that it was the birthplace of Pizza (yum!!!!) and that it is pretty much a mafia run city. A lot of people say that you shouldn’t go there because of all the murders but the reality of it is that like any other city it has it’s good and bad areas… and on the murder front… in 2006, 84 people were murdered in Naples of which 81 were mafia related. In other words, if your not in the mafia (or owing them money) then it’s actually one of the safest cities in Italy. A couple of lesser known reasons to come to Naples… it was actually the capital of Italy up until the 1800’s when the country was combined to include the kingdoms to the North, thus moving the capital to Rome, and that it’s right next to Mt Vesuvius and a great place to launch from for a day to Pompeii.

Taking a walk through town in the afternoon, I had my first taste of real, Italian pizza. With the base always more like Lebanese bread, it comes out to you in one of two traditional forms… margarita (tomato and cheese) or napolitano (tomato, cheese and basil). So simple yet so tasty. The ingredients are all fresh as can be and I don’t know whether it’s the wood-fired oven or the centuries of refinements but they are amazing!!! The town itself is picturesque situated on the Bay of Napoli with Mt Vesuvius in the background, and is filled with churches and palaces as well as their version of St Peters Piazza. It made for a lovely walk to fill in the rest of what was essentially a travel day.

By the time the gates to Pompeii opened the next day I was already eager and waiting. The idea to beat the heat didn’t really work though as the place is huge!! It took me until after 2pm just to do a look around without any tours or anything! Being only 35 minutes from Naples by train, the town sits to the South of Mt Vesuvius where it was once a thriving community. With villas, temples, theatres and an amphitheatre, Pompeii was a vibrant town… that is until 79AD when mother nature had something to say about it. On August 24th, Mt Vesuvius erupted bellowing smoke and ash into the air for miles. The town of Pompeii was completely covered within such a short space of time that residents didn’t even have a chance to flee. Although horrible at the time, it is quite possibly the best thing that happened to Italy from a historians point of view. From the paintings to the mosaics, everyday household items to the graffiti on the walls, it all was preserved in near perfect condition under metres of volcanic ash to be discovered nearly 2000 years later. And that’s not even mentioning the people that were entombed there. Although the bodies have long since decomposed, the hole left in the layers of ash where their final resting place was created an opportunity for the discoverer to fill them with plaster to make a life-size image of the citizens. Disturbing… yes… but from a historians view, also fascinating.

Wandering around the ruins with the volcano looming in the background you can almost see the town as it was on that day so long ago. It also invokes thoughts of how long until it happens again!!!

"Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it." - Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC)

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