tech
The train is ‘my time machine’: a tour of Naples’ hidden ancient wonders
A new film about this corner of southern Italy reveals rarely visited villas, seismic landscapes and a ‘civilisation buried mid-sentence’ – all accessible by train
TL;DR
- The documentary 'Pompei: Below the Clouds' explores the region around Naples, focusing on hidden ancient sites accessible by train.
- It highlights lesser-known Roman villas such as Villa Oplontis and Villa Augustea, and the geologically active Phlegraean Fields.
- The film uses trains, particularly the Circumvesuviana and Cumana lines, as a central element to traverse the seismic landscape and reveal layers of history.
- Naples itself is presented as a city built on ruins, with artifacts from centuries of excavation stored in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli.
- The documentary suggests that the region lives within its history and 'catastrophe', with ancient ruins and modern life coexisting.
- Practices like leaving ex-votos in churches indicate the ongoing Neapolitan impulse to connect the sacred and the profane.
- The film concludes by projecting historical film clips into an abandoned cinema, mirroring the theme of the past existing in the present.