Historic Site · Pompeii, Italy
Pompeii
Pompeii was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Built c. 601 BC.
Photo: Carsten Steger via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Pompeii, Italy |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | c. 601 BC |
| Area | Area: 0.981 km² |
| Coordinates | 40.7500° N, 14.4861° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Pompeii is known for
Pompeii was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy.
About Pompeii
Pompeii was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Along with Herculaneum, Stabiae, and many surrounding villas, it was buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Largely preserved under the ash, Pompeii offers a snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the moment it was buried, as well as insight into ancient urban planning.
History
Although best known for its Roman remains visible today, dating from AD 79, it was built upon a substantial city dating from much earlier times. Expansion of the city from an early nucleus (the old town) accelerated after 450 BC under the Greeks following the Battle of Cumae. The first stable settlements on the site date to the 8th century BC when the Oscans, a population of central Italy, founded five villages in the area.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Pompeii website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Pompeii |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Salerno / Pontecagnano Airport (QSR) |
| Distance from the airport | 24.5 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Naples International Airport (NAP) · Napoli, Italy · 13.9 miles away
- Abruzzo Airport (PSR) · Pescara, Italy · 117.2 miles away
- Bari Karol Wojtyła International Airport (BRI) · Bari, Italy · 121.7 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Italy
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is Pompeii?
Pompeii was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy.
Where is Pompeii located?
Pompeii is in Pompeii, Italy. Its coordinates are 40.7500° N, 14.4861° E.
How do I get to Pompeii?
The nearest town is Pompeii, and the nearest airport is Salerno / Pontecagnano Airport (QSR), about 24.5 miles away (straight line).
When was Pompeii built?
Pompeii was built c. 601 BC.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43332 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- http://www.pompeiisites.org — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.