Stabiae: the villas of the coast
In Castellammare di Stabia, the patrician villas of Villa San Marco and Villa Arianna tell of Roman luxury on the hill above the gulf.
Luxury on the hill
In antiquity Stabiae was the district of Roman patrician otium villas, built on the hill with a view over the gulf. Eruptions buried the town several times before the final catastrophe of 79 AD.
Villa San Marco and Villa Arianna
Villa San Marco, with its long colonnade and nymphaeum pool, is among the largest Roman villas ever excavated; Villa Arianna takes its name from the great fresco of Ariadne abandoned. In both you admire floors, frescoes and the vast reception spaces.
The town today
Castellammare di Stabia is also a living town, with its medieval castle, historic thermal baths and tourist harbour with connections to the coast. The view over the bay from the villa hills is one of the finest panoramas of the gulf.
Getting there
By Circumvesuviana from Pompei you reach Castellammare di Stabia Terme in about 10 minutes; the villa sites are reachable on foot or with a short climb. The day pairs well with Oplontis or Vesuvius.