Holidays in Castellammare: reviews about Castellammare. Stabiae
In the evening, having descended from , we went to see Castellammare di Stabia. There is nothing unusual about it. Standard coloring typical of the Gulf of Naples region. There is carelessness in the air, everything around is unsettled, but nice.
A view of Vesuvius, somewhere behind it is Naples, and if you look to the left of Vesuvius, then in good dry weather you can see the cliffs of Capri.
The city faces West, so here you can catch “touchdowns” - moments when the sun touches the horizon.
It's much more interesting when Vesuvius is in the frame. 
Here is a view of the volcano at night. 
Two things are immediately shocking about Castellammare. Black beach. The Bay of Naples owes such beaches to the volcano. And an incredible amount of garbage and the accompanying stench. 
We can say that this is a local tourist flavor. Moreover, it is not only and not so much the local residents who are to blame. For 15 years now, garbage collection in Naples has been controlled by the local mafia “Comorra”. She turned it into a fairly profitable business, with an annual turnover estimated at 7 billion euros. True, this is a business for the health of Neapolitans, all residents of Campania and tourists. For many years, the mafia used landfills not only to bury local garbage, but also brought waste, including toxic, from the north of the country. As a result, the landfills gradually filled up and closed, and new ones opened. This continued until the densely populated region ran out of available space. Solid waste landfills began to be created even on the territory national park"Vesuvius".
At the same time, two waste incineration plants have been awaiting commissioning near Naples for quite some time, which could partially solve the problem, in addition to providing the region with an additional source of energy. However, the “comorra” directed all its efforts to prevent their launch.
In 2008, the confrontation between local authorities and the “comorrah” reached its climax. Despite intimidation and copious bribes, the mafiosi were unable to achieve new tariffs for garbage collection. Comorra suspended the work of companies that removed waste. For several weeks, Naples was mired in mountains of garbage. Locals took to the streets, demanding to cleanse the city in the literal sense of the word. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi came to personally solve the problem. The crisis was resolved, but only temporarily. Trucks with waste were sent to landfills in neighboring regions. The Neapolitan “garbage card” has long become a political trump card, which is played when votes are needed.
Similar crises recurred in subsequent years. In 2010, residents of one of the villages, near which a new landfill appeared, even blocked the road leading to it. Garbage trucks were able to get to the landfill only under police protection, and even then with a fight.
Despite the fact that the cleanup seems to be underway, the consequences of the events of 2008 have not yet been eliminated. Natural landfills remain. The beaches are littered with garbage. The salvation of those drowning in shit is the work of the drowning people themselves. A citizen's cleanup initiative has been created in Castellammare di Stabia local beach, which was closed due to mountains of garbage. Every day, four volunteers come to the seashore and, for a couple of hours before sunset, remove plastic bottles, wrappers and other household waste. So far we have managed to clear about 300-400 meters of a long beach of several kilometers. 
But okay, enough about the sad stuff. Castellammare has a promenade with a number of catering establishments. On Saturdays and Sundays there is a spontaneous market with Africans selling counterfeit goods and some kind of crafts, and local “entrepreneurs” with popcorn, donuts, grilled corn and other nonsense.
Monument to sailors 
In the harbor area 
Exact time 
This way they cool the fruits and simply prevent them from wilting. 
And that's how they sell them 
Local Italians 
A very funny sculpture. Only from a certain angle it is clear that it was the satyr who grabbed the nymph by the leg. And it seems like his head is growing out of... 
They let out lanterns 
They sell stupid souvenirs 
and living creatures 
A helicopter arrived and extinguished Forest fires. He took water from the bay and flew somewhere into the mountains.
Only after sunset the helicopter firefighter decided to take a break. 
One day we came to Sagra. This public holiday, held in honor of a product. Everyone gathers and eats at large tables, listens to performances by local artists, and donates money to the municipality and other charities. We saw a sagru of some seafood and small fish.
What to see There are a lot of attractions in Maiori, but the most important here is the castle Castello di San Nicola de Thoro-Plano Architecture-nature Maiori is very beautiful landscapes. This is a place that you can admire every day. Leisure and recreation Spiaggia Di Minori is an excellent place to relax. Leisure outdoors won't hurt anyone. Hotel base The average hotel price in Maiori is $90 per room. It all depends on your needs. Safety-cleanliness Majori is one of the cleanest... May 8, 2019
Stabia gave me some doubts: is it worth going to Castellammare di Stabia for two more Vesuvian villas? On the one hand, Stabiae is mentioned in the same breath as Pompeii and. On the other hand, there are practically no eyewitness reviews on the Internet. Even at least occasionally, someone got to the Villa Poppea in Oplontis, but about Stabiae there was nothing definite, only historical information.
In general, I decided to go on reconnaissance after all. Besides, I wanted to look at resort town Castellammare di Stabia, in which, by the way, our aristocrats loved to relax in the 19th century, and Gogol was welcomed there (in 1838, Nikolai Vasilyevich moved here from Rome at the invitation of Repnina-Volkonskaya and worked all summer on “Dead Souls” ).
There is a train from Naples to Castellammare di Stabia (Circumvesuviana line, direction towards Sorrento).
I went there from Torre Annunziata after visiting. To be honest, I had absolutely no idea where the Stabian (or Stabian) villas were, hoping to find out everything on the spot. And so it happened.
My route from Castellammare di Stabia station to Via Nocera station with a stop at the Villas of Ariadne and San Marco
Time schedule: 45 minutes - from Naples to Castellammare, 20 minutes from the station to Villa Arianda, at the villa - about 40 minutes, then 25 minutes to the Villa San Marco, about an hour there, and from the second villa to the Via Nocera station another 15-20 minutes. And back to Naples is about 40 minutes.
It is possible to make a ring from Via Nocera station. I just wanted to see more of Castellammare.
So, I got on the train and went.
The next stop after Torre Annunziata was Pompei Scavi. Many people got off at this station.
Soon the wooded Lattar Mountains appeared on the left. The train then dived into another tunnel, then again found itself in the light. We drove almost right up to the steep slope.
Castellammare di Stabia. The path to Ariadne's villa
I got off at Castellammare di Stabia station.
To the right of the tracks, towards the sea, the city stretched; to the left, mountains rose. From the city to the top of the mountain Monte Faito stretches cable car. On the other side mountain range lies the Amalfi Coast. You can get from Castellammare through the pass by car in an hour or twenty hours.
I walked around the town a little - without much emotion. The entrance to the beach was blocked by a red net - they were redoing something there, preparing for summer season. On the wall of one house I saw a sign that the author of the Neapolitan hit “Funiculi, Funicula” Luigi Denza was born in this house.
There were locals standing near the magazine kiosk. I asked how to get to the “scavi” (excavation site). Everyone at once began to warmly advise me something, and one girl tried to convince me that there was no need to take the scavi, it was better to take the funicular to the mountains - the views were very beautiful.
The magazine seller gave me a map of the city and marked the first villa with a pen. Somehow it seemed too far to me.
But in fact, quite quickly I rose above the city (from the Unita d’Italia station square along Regina Margherita Street), reached the ring, and the woman I met at the right time suggested where to go next.
We had to cross the busy Via Puglia and follow Via Varano. This street leads to the Varano plateau, where the ancient villas of Stabia are located.
I didn’t like Varano Street right away. It was narrow and deserted, stretched in a narrow corridor between a fence and a slope, and it was unpleasant to walk there alone, clutching a DSLR and a bag.
Soon, however, orange orchards and dachas began to appear.
I perked up. And then an iron gate appeared with the inscription “ Villa di Arianna I sec D.C.»
I came to Ariadne's villa. The journey from the station to the villa took 20 minutes.
Before we go to the villa, I'll tell you a little about Stabiae.
Stabia – Castellammare. Brief historical background
In the 8th century BC. the first settlement appeared on the slopes of the Lattar Mountains, which over time turned into a beautiful antique city Stabiae.
In 89 BC, during Civil War, Stabiae was destroyed by Sulla's legionaries.
The city was no longer revived in its previous form, but Varano plateau, on these fertile lands with numerous mineral springs, rich patricians began to build country villas.
During the memorable eruption in 79, all these rich and luxurious villas were buried under a layer of volcanic ash.
Considering that Stabiae is 15 km from Vesuvius, you can imagine with what force the hot masses burst to the surface of the earth and what path the lava flows and ash traveled.
It is believed that few people died in Stabiae itself. The most famous victim who died here during the eruption of Vesuvius was the historian Pliny the Elder. He arrived here to observe the course of events (during the entire eruption, the scientist took notes), spent the night there at his friend’s villa. The next morning it became clear that it was impossible to stay in Stabiae: hot stones and ashes were flying at the city, it was dark as night. Pliny and his companions tried to get out of the city along the sea, at some point he fell behind and got lost. His body was found three days later.
Centuries passed, and the memory of the cities buried under a layer of lava and ash gradually began to fade.
A city arose on the site of ancient Stabiae Castellamarre di Stabia, famous for his thermal springs and mineral waters and a shipyard.
The mineral waters of Stabius were valued by the ancients; the same Pliny studied their effects. In this place mineral water very diverse in their composition. Now there are two thermal complexes here:
— Old Baths are located in the center of Castellammare and also serve as cultural center cities
— New baths, modern medical Center, located in the foothills.
What about the ancient city, you ask, are excavations underway?
Excavations are underway, and it seems that in this place, where you don’t even dig into the ground, you are likely to stumble upon traces of previous lives. Thus, a necropolis with burials dating from the 8th to 2nd centuries BC was found here.
In 1749, at the direction of King Charles of Bourbon, excavations began on the Varano plateau. Three villas were discovered: San Marco, Shepherd and Ariadne. The frescoes and valuable objects found on them were transported to Royal Palace to Portici, and then to .
Archaeologists soon turned their attention to Pompeii and Herculaneum, and work on the Varano plateau temporarily ceased.
In the middle of the last century, excavations resumed in Stabiae, and they continue to this day. The Villas of Ariadne and San Marco are now open to the public. They are located 25 minutes walk from each other. Both villas have a combined ticket for 4 euros, which also includes visits to Villa Poppea in Oplontis and the museum in Boscoreale.
Villa Ariadne
So, I found myself in front of the gate to the villa. Just outside the gate there was a small house and a lone car with it. A woman came out of the house and checked my ticket.
From the gate I followed a path along which lay fragments of capitals and clay jugs, and soon came out onto a green, flat field with olive trees.
The villa itself is located a little lower; you need to go down the stairs to get to it.
The Varano plateau is a wide terrace, a sort of flat step on the mountainside. Its edge abruptly drops down, and on this edge is located Ariadne’s Villa (and the subsequent Villa of San Marco, too). In front of the villa, a balcony created by nature and people stretches along the cliff, from which a view of the approaching modern city. A piece of the sea is visible, and Vesuvius, of course, also rises in the distance.
From the left edge of the villa stretches a wide rectangular field, the so-called “Great peristyle”. (Peristyle is a courtyard surrounded by a colonnade). This peristyle is truly huge. There was once a garden inside it.
In some places, the villa still has frescoes on the walls and mosaics on the floors in the form of black and white geometric patterns.
Figure with a book in the window opening
Each room is provided with explanations of what is depicted here (if the fresco remains) or what was depicted (if the fresco was moved to the Archaeological Museum in Naples or the British Museum in London). Most of the frescoes were destroyed. They say that when they tried to remove them from the walls, they crumbled into small pieces.
And here is the same fresco with the sleeping Ariadne, from which the villa got its name. Dionysus arrives in Naxos and sees Ariadne.
What expressive eyes Dionysus has:
A fresco with Ariadne is placed in the triclinium. The triclinium is the hall in which feasts were held. The triclinium could accommodate several tables.
On three sides of each table there were beds for those feasting, and on the fourth side food was served. It was necessary to eat while lying down, leaning on the elbow. Three people could fit on one bed (at an angle to the table). Considering that the feasts lasted for several hours, one can imagine how painful it was to lie in one position. However, they were probably trained since childhood.
Kitchen, service areas
Staircase to the second floor
Spacious atrium with a swimming pool in the middle
The enfilade of rooms stretches endlessly along the edge of the cliff. Behind the main part the so-called Second Complex begins.
There were no visitors in the villa except me. My solitude was disturbed only by the museum caretaker, a girl who crossed my path from time to time.
I liked Arianda's Villa. And with enthusiasm I went to the next Villa San Marco.
Villa San Marco
From Ariadne’s villa I went to the left, along the same Via Varano, only now the street was inhabited, there were gardens and private properties on it.
One of the modern villas along the road
Meanwhile, there was still no villa. I had been walking for about twenty minutes, and I even began to doubt whether I had missed her by an hour. There were few people along the way, only occasionally cars passed by. But rare passersby confirmed the correctness of the direction. By the end, I was practically running, because 5 o’clock was approaching, and the entrance to the villa stopped at 5 o’clock, the museum was open until 6 pm. And I already knew from experience that Italians (especially southern ones) will not sit for a minute at work and will not miss an opportunity to close the museum early.
Finally, a sign for Villa San Marco appeared. I turned left into the block, got lost a little and behind one of the houses (in the photo - a house made of gray stone) I found the entrance to the villa.
Behind this house, on the right, is the Villa San Marco
The time was 5 hours 2 minutes. A plump old man was sitting at the cash register. Seeing me, he energetically shouted: “Closed.” I, out of breath and indignant, expressed my indignation in a mixture of Italian and English, and he waved his hand.
Descent to the villa
There were, however, people in the villa - two married couples who soon left, and I, like the first time, walked around the villa alone, only occasionally meeting the caretaker (who was also not happy about my sudden appearance).
Villa San Marco is larger and more interesting. First of all, the visitor finds himself in a high peristyle-atrium with an outdoor pool in the middle.
One of the frescoes
One art critic said that after the discovery of the Stabia frescoes, Impressionism aged two thousand years. Can not argue.
An interesting detail - in front of the entrance to different rooms, in the doorway, on the floor there is a rectangular “mat” made of mosaic, each “mat” with its own pattern.
Thermal complex
Magnificent nymphaeum with swimming pool
The frescoes along the wall alternate between trees on a yellow background and medallions on a red background. The frescoes are made in the IV Pompeian style (about the styles of frescoes -)
This is the unusual shape of Villa San Marco - similar at the same time to an airplane and an airport
Adjacent to the nymphaeum are rooms where frescoes have also been preserved. Perseus with the head of Medusa, Iphigenia with a torch
Copy of a marble vase with reliefs discovered at the Villa San Marco (the original is in Archaeological Museum in Naples)
Bronze bird that decorated the fountain in the garden (also a copy)
Villa San San Marco has two levels. From the nymphaeum I went up the ramp to the upper peristyle
Column with relief
Views from the terrace
The caretaker was already following me relentlessly and looking at me expressively. I did not delay the two museum employees much, quickly finished the inspection and left the villa. Before I even reached the main road, the cashier was already rushing past me in his car.
And I soon went to railway, crossed it over the bridge and found myself in the middle of the city. It turned out that there is a station nearby Via Nocera(I walked from Villa San Marco to the station in 15 minutes). This is a funny station. Imagine: there are people and cars around. Suddenly a whistle sounds and the barrier comes down. An electric train of four cars glides past houses and cars, and city traffic starts up again.
You won’t envy the residents of the first floors of this house
So at the Via Nocera station my acquaintance with the town of Castellammare di Stabia ended, I took the train and went to.
My day turned out to be “archaeological”: in the morning - , then - Villa Poppea in Oplontis, in the evening - two villas in Stabiae.
All three villas are different, all interesting and worth a visit. Getting to Villa Poppea was easy, but getting to the villas in Stabiae was inconvenient. Public transport There is no walk from the station to them, you have to rely on your feet. As I understand it, Stabia is visited, as a rule, by those who travel in their own cars. Or those who came on holiday to Castellammare di Stabia or the nearest cities: Vico Equense and Sorrento.
However, as my experience shows, if you wish and if you have four hours of free time, you can make this journey yourself: come by train from Naples and walk to both villas, and return to Naples from the Via Nocera station.
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