Discovery of a Vineyard

This morning we left the Amalfi Coast and headed to Pompeii for a day trip on our way to Orvieto. Amalfi had stunning views and luckily we were able to stare out at the sea for the whole duration of a 4 hour hike with a lunch break in the middle. Before the hike, we went to a cheese factory and learned the process of making mozzarella cheese. While at the cheese factory, I got to experience braiding and knotting the cooked cheese. (P.S. The cheese guy said he would have hired me!) After the cheese was shaped, we got to eat the yummy fresh mozzarella! 

Today, we walked on a guided tour around the old port of Pompeii. It was interesting to see how modernized and advanced the city seemed to be for its time, until it was unfortunately destroyed by a volcanic eruption. The article I read was in relation to the Pompeii ruins. Specifically, the discovery and excavation of an ancient vineyard there. This vineyard is considered to be a very important discovery because it is an example of how one of the earliest known vineyards worked. The archaeologists determined that the wine was made in the house located in the corner of the Vineyard. All of the vine roots were planted in rows exactly four roman feet apart and there were two crossing paths spanning the center of the vineyard, splitting it into four sections. From determinations like those, the archaeologists can tell that many of the practices used by Pompeii wine makers today are the same as the historical practices. Lastly, the location of the vineyard near the amphitheater, towards the center of the city, on valuable land was surprising to historians and it had big implications for the study of ancient land use.   

To end our activities for the day, we ventured around the massive palace where Napoleon once resided. The palace took about 100 years to build and the ornate decorations, mostly gold, were beautiful. For a size reference, the guide said that around 200 people might have lived there at one time as the royal family had that many servants working for them. After the palace, we rode on the bus for a little over 3 hours to Orvieto, where we will now explore for the next few days! This trip is flying by and I don’t think anyone wants it to be over so soon.