Temp: 16 Degrees C, Overcast occasional drizzle/light rain
Caught the 302 on Santa Monica Blvd to the Pacific Coast Highway. Trip took about 1 hour and we caught the 534 on PCH to the Getty Villa only a few more minutes. A shuttle bus takes you up the steep driveway to the villa. From there you head left through the arches to the information desk with the option of taking stairs or a lift to the second level.
Before continuing with the Getty Villa experience below is some history of the Villa Sububana dei papyrii and the Getty museum.
The Villa Suburbana dei papiri was discovered by accident in 1750. It was given the name Villa of the Papyri due to the immense collection of scrolls found. 18th C tunnellers drew up partial plans (plan drawn by Swiss Karl Weber) of the villa as they dug through 60-80 metres depth of pyroplasmic matter resulting from the AD79 volcanic eruption of Vesuvius. Note this is different material to that covering Pompeii. The diggers were in search of curios and statues for museums and collections. A common focus of early archaeology. To date only a small portion of the villa has been uncovered. Excavation in Herculaneum (Ercolano) is limited to protect the undiscovered treasures that remain. In light of the recent and continuous collapse of buildings at Pompeii this is a necessary measure.
The Getty villa is a museum built utilising many of the architectural features of the Villa of the papyri. Not a precise replica, however suitably similar enough to provide an incredible appreciation of ancient Roman lifestyle.
The Villa exceeded my expectations. While understanding the villa is a mock-up of a partially excavated example, using some modern construction it is still an extraordinary example of museology and public archaeology.
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