Mount Vesuvius had been rumbling for days before August 24, 79 AD, but the people of Pompeii were not concerned. The volcano had not erupted for quite some time and many people did not even realize it was a volcano, but instead thought that Vesuvius was simply a mountain. It was for this reason that the people were not prepared when the volcano erupted. In one of the most devastating natural disasters in history the magnificent city of Pompeii was destroyed, along with its sister city, Herculaneum. The eruption of Vesuvius was so intense that the city and it's people were covered in up to 12 layers of volcanic ash and soil.

It is estimated that between 10,000 to 25,000 people were living in the city at the time of Vesuvius' eruption. There is no concrete evidence of either the total population or the actual death toll but the remains of around 1,150 people have been found. These bodies are perfectly preserved by the ash, some still in the middle of mundane activities like eating.

Today, you can visit the city’s ruins and see the buildings that have not been worn away by time. It is a walking only site with many things to look at that will probably take the majority of the day to see. There are several homes to visit such as the House of Vetii, a large home that is believed to have been owned by a pair of rich merchant brothers. Inside the house are colorful frescoes, a shrine, and a garden.

Another depressing and yet still fascinating location in Pompeii is the Garden of the Fugitives. There visitors can see casts of 13 adults and children, all of them huddled together unable to escape the destruction of the volcano.

Many artifacts found during the escavation of Pompeii can now be seen at the National Museum of Naples.

• Stories From An Eruption: An introduction to what occurred at Pompeii as well as a gallery and other information.
• Mount Vesuvius Today: Discusses Mount Vesuvius and its vast history.
• Vesuvius: An overview of the history of Vesuvius’ eruptions.
• Pompeii Story: Has a brief description of what occurred on the day the volcano erupted.
• Pompeii Forum Project: A project by the University of Virginia working to reconstruct Pompeii using 2D and 3D models.
• Pompeii Building Images: An archive of various images of Pompeii’s buildings.
• Pictures of History: Provides many images of Pompeii.
• Viewing Pompeii: An image resource page that covers many aspects of the city of Pompeii.
• Map of Pompeii: A conjectured map of what Pompeii would have looked like before the eruption.
• Ancient Rome Pictures: Pompeii: Contains pictures of the House of the Surgeon, Cork Model of Pompeii and others.
• Archeology of Ancient Italy: Pictures found in the homes of victims of the eruption as well as things that survived and were excavated.
• Pompeiana: A resource page devoted to all things Pompeian.
• Learning From Pompeii: Lessons to be learned from the Pompeii tragedy.
• Destruction of Pompeii: Discusses the eruption and some of the more important people killed.
• Pliny the Younger’s Account: The eyewitness account of someone who investigated the destruction.
• People of Pompeii: Briefly discusses the people who lived in Pompeii.
• Pompeii Journey: Offers an interactive tour beginning at 12 PM the day of the eruption.
• Life In Pompeii: Provides information on typical life in Pompeii.
• History of Discovery: Details how the ruins were first discovered in the 1600s.

The destruction of Pompeii was an example of nature’s volatility. As such, it will be a good idea to get a travel insurance policy before you go off on your holiday trip.