The sporting heart of ancient Pompeii: the Palestra Grande

Strolling through the ruins of Pompeii, just a few steps from the imposing Amphitheater, a vast and majestic space opens up: the Palestra Grande , one of the most emblematic testimonies of how Roman ideology insinuated itself into daily life, even in places dedicated to physical exercise. Built in the 1st century BC, it arose from the concrete need to offer young Pompeians a suitable place to practice gymnastics , overcoming the limitations of the smaller and older Palestra Samnitica, housed within the Stabian Baths.

With the advent of the Augustan age, however, the gymnasium took on a far more ambitious role: it was no longer simply a matter of physical training, but of training citizens devoted to the political order imposed by Augustus. Young men were thus enrolled in actual associations, the collegia iuvenum , and, under the supervision of imperial authority, began a course of physical and moral education . In this perspective, the body became a vehicle of propaganda, and training a means of instilling values such as discipline, strength, and loyalty to the Empire.

A monumental geometry to exalt the Roman spirit

The structure stands out with a rectangular plan measuring 141 by 107 meters, completely enclosed by a high crenellated wall that seems to protect not only the building but also the civic identity of its inhabitants. Ten gates provided access to a world where architectural rigor combined with classical harmony. The facades, though simple, were enriched with semi-columns, architraves, and pediments with capitals sculpted in simple yet elegant forms.

The true heart of the gymnasium was the vast portico , which ran along three sides with thirty-five columns each, while on the western side there were forty-eight. Today, looking at the column shafts, one can still make out traces of the molten lead used to stabilize them after the devastating earthquake of 62 AD. An emergency intervention, however, did not have time to fully restore the structure before the tragic eruption of 79 AD.

The tuff capitals reveal a refinement typical of the era: acanthus leaves envelop the lower section, while Ionic-style volutes complete the composition in the upper band. The slightly raised portico led to the central arena via four lateral staircases and a more imposing central staircase, which likely also served as a ceremonial entrance.

The pool at the center of physical and symbolic knowledge

Right in the centre of the Palestra stood out the natatio , a pool of considerable size (35x22 metres) built with a sloping bottom: from an initial depth of one metre it descended to 2.60 metres.

The filling took place thanks to a sophisticated hydraulic system , with the water conveyed from a castellum aquae located in the nearby western alley.

Besides being a place for swimming exercises, the pool was also a scenic and symbolic element : water, a purifying element, was an integral part of the education of the young Roman citizen.

Among paintings, graffiti and traces of everyday life

But the Palestra Grande was also a space for socialising , a theatre of conversations, shared emotions and impulsive gestures.

The walls of the portico and even some columns retain traces of Third Style pictorial decoration , evidence of the refined aesthetic that permeated even the most functional spaces. Alongside the elegant compositions, the voices of young Pompeians emerge in the form of graffiti : scathing comments, confessions of love, colorful insults. From " Alla malora Casellius " to the provocative " Iucundus caca male ," the messages scratched into the stone tell us about a humanity surprisingly similar to our own, rich in passions, rivalries, and vanity.

When Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the Palestra Grande was not spared the fury of the pyroclastic flow . The remains of seventeen people were found inside, while another eighteen found refuge (and death) in the latrine. Many of the bodies were still adorned with gold, silver, and bronze jewelry, details that speak to the sudden interruption of lives otherwise immersed in daily routine.

Today, strolling among the plane trees that once shaded the area (of which only the casts of their roots remain), one can still breathe the essence of that vibrant and youthful Pompeii , where the Latin motto " a healthy mind in a healthy body " took concrete form. The Large Palaestra was not only a place for sculpting the body, but also a space where the identity of citizens of the Empire was forged, and it is precisely in this dual dimension, physical and symbolic, that its extraordinary importance lies.