I’ve seen some of those castings of victims (years ago at a local museum when they had a traveling Pompeii exhibit) and some of the stories they told were so tragic—especially this one of the lost baby and it’s young mother. :*(
I understand that Vesuvius is still dangerous even today, and the city of Naples could go at any time! Why do people choose to live under that kind of possible death and destruction? Same reason people choose to live in earthquake prone LA, or flood prone NOLA...boggles the mind.
Because the Amalfi Coast south of Naples is probably one of the most beautiful places on the planet. There's also the fact that Vesuvio is not only the taker of life, but the bringer as well. You won't see dirt as fertile as in the vicinity of Vesuvio in may parts of the world. In and around Naples/Sorrento is some of the finest citrus in the world. I'm talking lemons the size of NFL footballs. The ash from Vesuvio is also what makes the Med so blue.
I intend on retiring in Sorrento despite the threat of Vesuvio and earthquakes. There really is NO place on earth truly safe from the wrath of Mother Nature. Besides, Vesuvio is quite for the time being.
I see exactly what you mean, but hey, people in California say that about those of us who live in areas which get tornados and hurricanes (although when there’s a Republican president, he takes all the blame for the carnage and destruction, particularly in NOLA). Could be anywhere. I mean, Mutton Island off the west coast of Ireland used to be a good bit larger, but in the 9th century (if memory serves) a tsunami (that’s what we’d call it now) came in, busted up the island (what’s left is in three pieces), rushed inland a ways, and killed hundreds. Record of this survived in local ecclesiastical texts.
There has recently been a new method developed for the castings. Instead of plaster they are now using resins.
The one thing that strikes me most about the casts is how very small the Romans were in 49. The average height for a man was about 5'2". That's something to remember when traveling to the old places. You might feel cramped, but the folks 2000 years ago were much small than us.
If you have never visited southern Italy I highly recommend it. Pompeii is a cool place to spend some time, but Herculaneum (on the other side of Vesuvio) is a better looking and less looted archeological site.
A traveling show on Pompeii was at the Houston Museum this summer and was great. The plaster casts were interesting and copies of the fresco art from the walls were cool, but the jewelry and artifacts (such as a surgeon’s set of scapels and other tools for operations) were just as fascinating.