Welcome back to Six Weeks of Summer: Postcards from Italy where we take you on a journey to our favorite and most captivating destinations in our home country of Italy. This is our tribute… our love letter. We hope that you feel inspired and that this series instills that magnificent sense of wanderlust that always leads to the best adventures.
As an added bonus, throughout the series, every purchase at Shop Aurifil containing one or more Color Builder collections will be entered for a chance to win a prize package valued over $550! Package includes goodies from Aurifil, Moda Fabrics, Oliso, OLFA, and Soak.
“Ruins are reminders that while time will pass, memories will remain.”
– Sophia Khan
Pompeii is in the Campania region of southern Italy. Once a wealthy and thriving city with a population of over 20,000, Pompeii was destroyed in 79CE by the epic Mount Vesuvius eruption that buried the city under layers of lava. A story that is both heart-breaking and arguably the biggest tragedy of its time has also produced a remarkable tribute, an ageless memorial to that lost culture. Visitors are now able to walk the streets and soak up the incredible history with the red-tinted stone walls.
We set off from our resort in Sorrento just after lunch, having eaten a delicious meal in preparation for an afternoon & evening of walking. We head over to the Circumvesuviana local train which will take us straight to the site – a 25-30 minute ride. We’ve pre-booked a private guide for the afternoon, knowing that it’s the best way to absorb all of the stories and hear about the humanity behind the ruins.
We visit the Forum of Pompeii (the centre for all political and cultural activities of Pompeii), the Temple of Apollo (likely the oldest structure in the Pompeii ruins), the House of Vettii (a villa that represents the architecture of this time), and finally, the Pompeii Spectacula… the first amphitheatre built by the Romans out of stone predating the Colosseum by almost 100 years. It was large enough to seat the entire population of Pompeii!
Exhausted, we pop over to Osteria Nonna Cherubina, a mere ¼ mile walk from the park. We’re in desperate need of a good meal and some relaxation before heading back to experience the illuminated walk. From late July to late September, a particular section of the park is lit up, inviting visitors to walk the streets and to experience a bit of what life might have been like before disaster hit. We planned our visit in August for this reason. After a magical and emotional evening, we hop the train back to Sorrento for the night.
Our visit wouldn’t be complete without exploring Mount Vesuvius. Though the last eruption was all the way back in 1944, it’s still possible to see (and smell) the smoke rising up from the crater. We hop in our car and navigate to the upper car park. It’s a mile walk from here to Vesuvius along a fine gravel path that leaves traces of red dust on our shoes.
We’re once again awe-struck walking around the rim of the crater. Each step taken offers a new spectacular view, including a glimpse at Capri in the distance and a birds eye view of Pompeii. We finish our tour feeling entirely changed and filled with history.
FUN FACTS
- Pompeii is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist spot in Italy, with over 2.5 million visitors every year.
- In 1972, rock band Pink Floyd recorded a live performance in Pompeii’s Roman Amphitheater with no audience. The show was captured by filmmaker Adrien Maben, showcasing the incredible acoustics.
- There is a tremendous amount of graffiti that predates the catastrophic eruption. It’s clearly visible while walking the park and includes things like private messages & public announcements!
Our Pompeii set features 3 shades of 50wt thread in 5002, 2250, 1103. They coordinate perfectly with the Coral, Christmas Red, & Kansas Red by Moda Fabrics shown above. For a bit of creative inspiration, make sure to grab the Italian Color Builders EPP Pattern (shown above) by Aurifil’s own Kate Brennan and the Red Poppy block (shown below) by Kathy Ross via the buttons below.
As a reminder, over the next few weeks, every purchase at Shop Aurifil containing one or more Color Builder collections will be entered for a chance to win a prize package valued over $550! Package includes goodies from Aurifil, Moda Fabrics, Oliso, OLFA, and Soak. Winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email after the close of the series.
