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Travel Pictures - ITALY - 1991
All images © Ron Miller

          On this very brief visit to Italy, I traveled from the "heel" of Italy's boot all the
     way to the northern border on my way back to Ukraine. I stopped briefly in Naples
     and Rome before continuing by train to Austria. The photos posted are from
     Naples and the historical sites around Mt. Vesuvius including the ancient Roman
     cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Vista of Naples, the Gulf of Naples, and Mt. Vesuvius on a stormy November day. The ruins of Herculaneum
are on the coast at the right flank of the mountain while the ruins of Pompeii are directly behind the peak -
Naples, Italy
Placid view across the Gulf of Naples to Mt. Vesuvius, which is the only volcano to have erupted on the European mainland
in the last 100 years. The volcano is considered to be one of the most dangerous in the world because of its proximity to
Italy's second largest city. The last eruption was in 1949, and there have been nearly 40 eruptions
since the 79 eruption although none of them have been as powerful or destructive -
Naples, Italy
The Roman city of Herculaneum was buried underneath 50 to 60 feet of mud, lava, and ash from the 79 A.D. eruption of
Mt. Vesuvius (in background). The white buildings at ground level are a portion of the modern town of Ercolano -
Herculaneum, Italy
These streets were completely covered with ash and mud from the same eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that destroyed Herculaneum in 79 A.D. Pompeii was accidentally rediscovered in 1748 and was thought to have had a population of somewhere between 10,000 and 25,000.
More than one thousand victims have been found buried in the ash. The vats on the right were used for serving hot and cold drinks -
Pompeii, Italy
This amazing fresco has survived for nearly 2,000 years because it was protected from the elements underneath the volcanic ash -
Pompeii, Italy

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All images © Ron Miller
For authorized use of these photos, please contact Ron Miller at TheHappyCannibal@gmail.com