The history of the city of Pompeii is a tragic one that tells of lives lost, Mother Nature's unpredictability, and a bit of superstition. The reasoning for the eruption of Mount Vesuvius was attributed to the will of the gods, according to legend. When the residents of the city of Pompeii began disrespecting and turning away from the gods, it made them angry, thus their rage became fuel for a catastrophic event which would cover an entire city in ash, unintentionally preserving it for centuries to come.
In 79 AD, it was believed that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius could be explained through the displeasure of the gods, however, we now know how volcanoes work... And the fact that the city was settled at the base of a volatile volcano didn't help matters. Disasters such as this were given the rationale that if something terrible happened, it had to be because the gods were unhappy with how things were on earth, hence the rain of fire and ash that fell on Pompeii that fateful year. In the same vein, it's due to this bad luck that many have brought the superstitions surrounding Pompeii into the current century. Not only is it believed that the city and land itself was cursed, but for years now, visitors have been trying to return items they took from the site of the eruption, claiming they, too, have been cursed because of them.
The Most Recent Return
During 2015, there was an overflow of people clamoring to return things taken from the site of Pompeii with the reasoning being that they were 'cursed.' Visitors have been mailing back things to the authorities for years now under the cover of their bad luck, however, whether or not that's actually the case remains to be seen. If nothing else, the curse of Pompeii is a powerful deterrent to keep visitors from pocketing things that they shouldn't, especially with such a historical and tragic site such as this.
Most recently, a woman who visited the site in 2005 has come forth stating that for 15 years, she's suffered both in health and financially since taking relics from Pompeii. The Canadian tourist explained all of this through a letter that she sent to the authorities, in which she detailed that rather than going to the gift shop, she took items directly from the site. After heading back, she began to notice that life was suddenly taking a turn and could only attribute it to the one difference since she had come back: the ruins of Pompeii.
According to Travel + Leisure, she wrote, "I was young and dumb. I wanted to have a piece of history that couldn’t be bought. I never thought about what I was actually taking. I took a piece of history captured in time that has so much negative energy attached to it. People died in such a horrible way and I took tiles that related to that kind of destruction." The letter was published in an Italian newspaper and along with it, the items that the woman took: pieces to an amphora vase, mosaic tiles, and a piece of a ceramic wall. The woman also went onto say that her family has also been cursed, with her health on the decline twice and all of them have struggled financially since taking the items from Pompeii. With such significant setbacks and detriments to both her health and personal life, it's hard to debate the fact that Pompeii may, indeed, actually be cursed. And she's not the only one to have thought so.
This tourist is only one of roughly 100 who has sent items back after claiming their lives had taken a turn for the worst after bringing the artifacts home. The items that get sent back are usually put on display for all to see and appreciate, however, for those who have taken the items, the outcome has been less positive. All of the returns cited 'bad luck' and the attempt at returning the ancient relics is an attempt to get their life back from whatever plagued them after leaving the city of Pompeii. In the letter written to the authorities, the Canadian tourist asked for forgiveness in the hopes that both her apology and her return of the items would prevent her family from going through any further grief. It still remains to be seen whether or not there's any truth to the superstition surrounding Pompeii but one thing is for sure: It's probably wise to consult the gift shop for souvenirs.