Mozart &
Material Culture

Souvenirs

Pietrto Fabris, Vesuvius seen from the grounds of William Hamilton's estate, 1767 (privately owned)

Pietro FabrisVesuvius seen from the grounds of William Hamilton's estate, 1767 (privately owned)

Volcano about 9 kilometers east of Naples. Its eruption in 79AD destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Mozart Relevance

Mozart and his father visited Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum on 18-19 June 1770. According to Leopold Mozart's letter of 9 June, even before their visit he had received from Frédéric Meuricoffre ‘a fine collection of Vesuvius lava - not the kind of lava that anyone can easily get hold of, but choice pieces with a description of the minerals that they contain and that are rare and hard to come by.’

Category/Role
Tourist location
Location
Naples
Sub-location
Vesuvius
Date (Mozart)
1770-06-18/19
Location (Mozart)
Naples