Hooray for Pompeii: the horrific history of this city, destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, will delight children

The 20 years since my last visit to Pompeii seems like a long time, but it is less than the blink of an eye in the turbulent history of this city. I was younger, single and childless. Now I’m older, married to Bridget and here with our two children, Laila, ten, and Ezra, five.

Everywhere we go feels like stumbling onto a film set – from the bustling streets of Naples to the quiet glamor of the island of Ischia, home to The Talented, Mr Ripley.

But nowhere does it feel more cinematic than Pompeii. Two thousand years ago, the city, which is 14 miles (22 km) southeast of Naples, was a bustling city of about 15,000 before it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 AD.

It is believed to have killed 16,000 people in Pompeii and other cities in the region, making it one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in history. The ruined city remained frozen in time until its discovery in 1748. Today, around 2.5 million tourists visit the city each year.

Experience has taught me that when traveling with children, it’s always a struggle to cram in as much as possible before their attention wanders. The secret is not to overdo it and be selective. We were based in Naples so we would do Pompeii in a morning. We were given three hours to explore the ruins and called in help in the form of Umberto, a dedicated, knowledgeable and above all infinitely patient guide.

We started on the south side of town, where Umberto pointed out one of the oldest sites: a 6th century Greek temple. “The temple had been standing there for almost 700 years at the time of the eruption,” Umberto said.

Even before the destruction, Pompeii had a long history and I wanted to share it with our children, but they were already angry with me. Ezra was furious that I refused to buy him a replica wooden sword from one of the souvenir stands, and Laila was displeased that so many other tourists were cooing over how cute Ezra looked.

Pompeii is pictured 14 miles southeast of Naples, Sarfraz’s base for his trip

Sarfraz admired the “understated glamour” of the nearby island of Ischia, which is pictured where The Talented Mr Ripley is set.

The ruined city of Pompeii stood still in time until it was discovered in 1748

Umberto valiantly tried to share some details about the gladiator barracks, but the children ran ahead. He explained how important culture is to the local population when we went to the Odeon or small theaters. He pointed out where the artists would have stood.

The stone seats are remarkably well preserved. “There were three different seating levels,” Umberto explained. “The noble classes got the best, while the slaves and women were at the bottom – women were just ahead of the slaves.”

Pompeii stretches over 164 hectares and it is difficult to understand that it was not created for the benefit of tourists – but it predates them by several thousand years.

I started to worry about the children’s attention span, but Umberto came to my rescue. “Did you know that in Pompeii they clean their clothes with pee?” he told them. This piqued her interest. It was true: Pompeii’s laundries used human urine to remove grease from clothes.

Sarfraz’s “dedicated, knowledgeable and endlessly patient” guide, Umberto, took him and his family around the city. Pictured are the city’s public baths

“Umberto tried valiantly to share some details about the gladiator barracks (above), but the kids ran ahead,” writes Sarfraz

Sarfraz and his family – his wife Bridget and their two children Laila, ten, and Ezra, five – in Pompeii

Laundries, gymnasiums, theaters – it was amazing to see how many of what we consider modern services existed in ancient times. At the ruins of a bakery, Umberto showed us how flour is made by grinding wheat. “The ovens were there at the time of the outbreak,” he says, “so the bread is still good.” This quieted the children.

When Vesuvius erupted, it was equivalent to the explosion of two atomic bombs. Men, women and children were buried under volcanic debris.

Their bodies decomposed, leaving cavities that were pumped with plaster in the 19th century to make plaster casts, 13 of which are on display in a display case. I looked at the children. I could tell by their expressions that they were deeply moved and I was reminded of the wonder of Pompeii and how it brings the ancient past into the present.

“I could tell by their facial expressions they were completely overwhelmed,” Sarfraz says of his children’s reaction when they saw plaster models of those who lost their lives in Pompeii.