Pompeii - take a trip to discover the eating habits of the Ancient Romans with `De Gustibus`
For almost ten years, teams of experts have been working on a project to restore areas of Pompeii buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD to their former state, in an attempt to better understand the social and economic life of the ancient town’s population. Until the 26th June of this year, the Minister of Culture and the Archaeological Superintendence of Pompeii are offering visitors to Pompeii the opportunity to visit `De Gustibus: dall’orto alla tavola` (from the vegetable garden to the table) which is an exhibition, or to be more precise an itinerary, which for the first time displays some of the results of this project and leads visitors through carefully recreated gardens full of the same plants, herbs and flowers that were used for cooking and for medicinal purposes by the families of Pompeii 2000 years ago.
Discover how the Ancient Romans cultivated their land, reared their animals and find out what food was normally served at their tables. How did they cook their food and how was food conserved? These, and many other questions will be answered as you wander through parks of almond, pear, quince and olive trees, vines, and vegetable gardens of herbs and aromatic plants used for everything from cooking to preparing perfumed body oils. Visit the vines that have been entrusted to the winemaker Mastroberardino from the nearby town of Avellino who is already producing a wine from the vines called ‘Villa dei Misteri’, and learn how the vines and grapes were tended back in ancient Pompeian times. For those who want to try their hand at cooking up a dish or two at home, there is also an area selling books of original Roman recipes (carrots with cumin, cheese with nuts and sesame seeds, ricotta rolls cooked on bay leaves), along with some of the ingredients necessary for your gastronomic exploits. Truly a taste of the past!
Visiting hours until 30th October: 8.30 – 19.30.
Entry price: The De Gustibus tour is free, but normal admission tickets must still be bought (adults 10 Euro, EU citizens under 18 or over 65 free, but have ID ready to show when buying tickets.)
Web site: www.pompeiisites.org
Email: infopompei@tin.it
Tel: 081 8575347
