CENTAURUS STATUE, Pompeii, Besucherguide & was in der Nähe unternehmen

The Centaurus statue is a contemporary sculpture by the Polish artist Igor Mitoraj, standing in the Forum of Pompeii, Italy. It shows the mythological half-man, half-horse and has stood here since 2016, on a podium that once held an equestrian statue. It is a striking modern figure in the middle of one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world.

The story behind it

The Forum was the beating heart of Roman Pompeii: the square where trade, religious ceremonies and political assemblies all took place. It was ringed by imposing public buildings and was once paved in marble slabs and decorated with many statues. Carts were not allowed to enter it, so it was a place for people on foot.

The Centaurus is not an ancient piece, which surprises many visitors. It is the work of Igor Mitoraj, who made it as contemporary art, and it was placed on a podium where an equestrian statue stood some two thousand years ago. The centaur, a figure from Greek and Roman myth, sits comfortably in a square that was designed to display statues.

What to look for

• The contrast between the modern sculpture and the ancient stone around it, which makes the Forum feel like a living space rather than a ruin.
• The podium itself, the base where an equestrian statue stood in Roman times, now carrying the centaur.
• The long open rectangle of the Forum, once fully paved in marble, and the remains of the public buildings that surround it.
• On a clear day, the view of Mount Vesuvius beyond the square, a reminder of what ended the city in 79 AD.

Tips for your visit

• The Forum is inside the Pompeii archaeological park, so check current opening hours and entry arrangements before you go.
• Allow a few minutes at the statue and longer to walk the full length of the Forum and look at the buildings around it.
• Go early or late in the day if you can, as the site has little shade and the middle of a summer day can be very hot.
• Look down as you walk the nearby streets: the raised stepping stones let people cross without wading through mud and waste, and the cart ruts between them are still visible. The wider east-west streets are called decumani and the narrower north-south ones cardini.

See it on a quest

The Forum makes more sense when you arrive on foot as part of a longer route. Ashes of Time: Escape Pompeii’s Curse is a self-guided quest through Pompeii that passes the Centaurus. The app tells you about each place as you reach it and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look at the details instead of just walking past. There is no guide to book and no group to join, and you can start whenever you like. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.