Scavi di Stabia - Villa San Marco — Attraction in Castellammare di Stabia

Stunningly preserved Roman Villa...

I've seen an awful lot of archaeology in my time, but Stabia frankly blew me away.

The site is set out of the way, off the main Road between Naples and the Amalfi Peninsula. It's signposted poorly, so you'll need to be careful not to miss it. The parking lot is covered, and gives no indication of belonging to an archaeological site. If you're sitting in your car, wondering if you've taken a wrong turn, you've made it to Stabia.

To call this villa expansive would be a gross understatement. It's massive, and incredibly well preserved. From the massive entrance hall, to the courtyard with its huge pool, and the ornate mausoleum, this is easily one of the most amazing Roman-Era sites I've ever visited. And what's more, it's basically a forgotten gem that gets few annual visitors. In the three hours I spent photographing Stabia, I encountered four other visitors. This fact, coupled with the phenomenal weather, made my visit a memorable one.

If you're in the area to see Pompeii, be sure to set some time aside to...

Second of the two Roman villa we visited at Castellammare di Stabia today. Like the Villa Arianna, there is no charge to access, you just need to sign in at the bottom of the entrance stairs. Good amount of structure still standing (at full height and with protective roofs), although many of the finer pieces of wall art were missing, having been apparently chiseled out by Bourbon art 'enthusiasts' in the 18th century - some are now on display in the Naples Archaeology Museum. Good views of Vesuvius from out of the back of the site. As it appears is normal on such sites, we found that several parts of the site were inaccessible, whilst essential maintenance work was being carried out. However, there was still enough accessible to keep us interested for an hour or so (thankfully there are a reasonable number of bilingual (Italian and English) information panels on site, to help make...

PLEASE go visit the Villa San Marco - you won’t be disappointed. Right from the start, you enter the atrium with its stunning frescoes, bathed in the light of the impluvium’s open roof. Then you walk down the hallways, which are literally covered from floor to high ceiling in red frescoes, with small designs - it seems impossible! The peristyle garden is large with mature trees and loads of shade, and a gigantic and deep pool. The porticos on either side are again covered with colorful frescoes, which lead to similarly decorated rooms. A fantastic experience.

NOTE: you really need to visit the brand new Stabiae Archaeological Museum (Libero d’Orsi), as it has hundreds of frescoes from the Villa San Marco, the nearby Villa Arianna, and other assorted ancient Roman villas in the Stabiae area. It will leave you breathless - gorgeously presented and...