A new History Channel Italy
documentary called "Baia, The Underwater Pompeii", that
showcases the enormous underwater archaeological site of ancient
Baiae, premiered at the Aragonese Castle in Baia on Wednesday.
The documentary, directed by Stuart Eliott, was made with the
support of the Region of Campania, and uses computer graphics
and 3D imaging to reconstruct the ancient city on the Gulf of
Naples as it would have looked 2,000 years ago.
The surface area of the archaeological site is three times
larger than that of Pompeii, and it was from here that Roman
emperors governed and where many had their residences built.
Days-long feasts took place at the villas of Baiae, such as
at the Villa dei Pisoni, owned by Roman senator Gaius Calpurnius
Piso who in 65 AD directed the Pisonian conspiracy against the
Emperor Nero.
Piso's villa, which is today underwater, was rebuilt by the
Emperor Hadrian to be even more decadent than its predecessor.
The entire underwater park offers the wonder of wandering
through submerged roads decorated with columns and mosaics
crystallised by the water.
Tourists can explore the underwater park through tours with
some local diving centres, including the Centro Sub Flegreo,
which worked with the BBC on a previous documentary.
The new documentary will contribute to tourism in Naples and
the Campania region, according to regional Governor Vincenzo De
Luca.
He said there has been an "explosion of events, cultural
offerings, and extraordinary promotion" in the region over
recent months.
"It's truly difficult for me to imagine another region with
the same cultural vivacity and range of interests as in Naples
and Campania nowadays," De Luca said.
photo credit: An image of the Baiae site (Pasquale Vassallo -
Centro sub Campi Flegrei)
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