Raffaele

The Local Archaeologist

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  • I live in Naples
  • I speak English, Italiano
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 8 hours

Hi there! Nice to meet you

Raffaele

I'm a Neapolitan Archaeologist with 14 years of field experience on my neck and I am an Official Tour Guide of the Campania Region. I have a degree in Archaeology, a master in Classical Archaeology and a Ph.D. in Archeological Heritage -with a project on a Pompeii's roman building.

I did my FIRST archaeological excavation at POMPEII and since 2008 I have been part of an International Team of Archaeologists where we found a Roman bath in an area of the Vesuvius never discovered before (Apolline Project); my love for history brought me to many dig sites around Italy (Rome, Molise, Etruria) and since the 2015 I am Archaeologist Member of the Vatican Team Commission for Archaeology in particular for the excavations of the Catacomb of Naples (St. Gennaro).

- March 2021 I discovered a roman villa built outside the city walls of the ancient Pompeii.

- The municipality of City of Pompeii has awarded me the Prize for 'great and honorable guide' (Oct 2019)

- In December 2021 the Nobel Prize Prof. Mario Capecchi was on a tour of the Archaeological Museum of Naples with me.

- In September 2019 the Nobel Prize for Medicine 2011 Dr. B. Beutler was with me for a tour of Pompeii.

Also, I am working as researcher on an archaeological excavation here in Naples (the underground of Naples is an amazing world!) and you can find my published research papers about Pompeii or Naples on Academia edu under my name. Since I was a child, I have always loved the ancient history of Greece and Rome as well as art from the Middle Ages to the 20th (1900s).

* Possibility of arranging a private transport with driver upon request: if you need it, ask me.

  • I live in Naples
  • I speak English, Italiano
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 8 hours

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Reviews

Fergus
26 July 2025
Walking away from Pompeii, my family and I decided we would not have been able to visit the incredible ruins without the guidance of Raffaele - he provided an informative and insightful experience, through the lens of both an archeologist and someone willing to cater to our personal interests. This tour was completely worth the cost, and we left feeling shocked and enriched by the level of detail we knew by the end of the 2 hours - we could have stayed for longer. Completely recommend Raffaele to anyone considering either Pompeii or another site along the Amalfi coast! Incredible tour from Raffaele
Lalisa (Lali)
24 July 2025
I cannot recommend Raffaele enough. We were a group of nine (adults and teenagers) and were unsure if the tour would be suitable for our mixed group. However, we all thoroughly enjoyed the visit to Herculaneum and the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, which we would not have liked half as much without a guide. Raffaele taught us a lot about the places and also made a reservation for our lunch in a very nice pizzeria. It was easily the best tour during our cruise. Thank you, Raffaele!Excellent! Herculaneum and Museum
Blythe
22 July 2025
I booked a solo tour with Raffaele. He was prompt and communicative. He put me at ease immediately. He was very knowledgeable and considerate. It was hot and he brought an umbrella for me. Very sweet. We toured all over and he is passionate about Pompeii. I believe he loves this place deeply and he took the time to explain in detail the lives of these people. I am so grateful to him for his time and being able to explain to me in English. I wish my Italian was better. Thank you Raffaele. …til next time.Raffaele is the absolute best.
Simon
16 July 2025
Raffaele gave us an amazing tour of the site. He made everything very clear and easy for us to visualize what the roman city looked like and how it was organized, was very patient and knowledgeable when answering our many questions, and even gave us some suggestions for what to do and see as we wrapped up our day in Pompeii by ourselves. Truly the best way we could experience this unique site.Exceptional visit of Pompeii
Clare
12 July 2025
Interesting visit to Herculanuem with Raffaele as our accomplished guide. We went early at 9am and had the site virtually to ourselves. Although small in comparison to Pompeii the site is well preserved and you come away with a real sense of how the ancient romans lived (and died) in this small town. Well worth a visit especially with Raffaele as our archeological guide. Went on the train from Sorrento which is easy but make sure you buy the express train ticket which is more expensive but you don’t need to change trains. Ercalano Tour
Howard
9 July 2025
We hired Raffaele for our Pompeii tour. Unfortunately there was a huge rain storm that lasted for the first hour of the tour. Despite the rain, Raffaele was able to navigate us through the highlights of Pompeii while keeping dry too. Raffaele was very friendly, extremely knowledgeable, and easy to communicate with. He’s a working archeologist and his in-depth knowledge of the site really came through through the tour. Everyone, including our 2 kids, enjoyed the tour. The tour was personally, my favorite during our trip. Afterwards, Raffaele was kind of enough to recommend a great seaside restaurant on our way back to Sorrento, Mustafa in Seiano Marina. Definitely worth a stop if you are headed in that direction. In summary, Raffaele is an amazing g tour guide and I recommend him at the highest level. The Best Pompeii Tour!
Sue
6 July 2025
Raffaele gave us an excellent introduction to Naples in the short time we had to explore (6 hours). He allowed us opportunity to learn about Naples’ extensive history and culture, with a wonderful diversity of examples of art from exquisite churches to current topical street art. He used his archeological expertise to show us key highlights of the National Archeological Museum, allowing us to link them to visits we were making to Herculaneum and Pompei too. Raffaele was professional, reliable and friendly, with excellent communication and expertise. Thank you Raffaele!Excellent introduction to Naples
Samantha
23 June 2025
I’ve been looking forward to experiencing Pompeii for my entire life. Raf met and exceeded all our expectations. We booked a private transport from Sorrento, tour of Pompeii, lunch at a local winery, and subsequent tour of Herculaneum. We started with a pick up that was slightly delayed due to a traffic accident, but everyone worked with us, communicating multiple times to adjust our tours and lunch reservations. Raf had our tickets and we breezed through the line easily. He began our tour like a story teller, making certain we understood both the significance of the site and the history of the surrounding region. It was clear from the onset that Raf not only had a wealth of information to impart but was passionate about his subject. He answered all of our questions thoughtfully and expounded on several areas we were interested in. My only complaint was that that we only had two hours to explore, we certainly needed two weeks and will be back!! The frescos, shops, fountains, stepping stones, orchards, and gardens were just other worldly to see. Raf really brought the previously bustling city to life for us. Lunch was incredible with food and wine from the local winery. The founders grandson took care of us and was happy to tell us the history of the winery as well as the significance of each bottle we tasted. Raf then took us to Herculaneum for a continued picture of the time period of the Vesuvius eruption. Again his compassion and humanity were prominent in his tour. He spoke with care and reverence of the people who perished and who might have survived. Showing us delicate mosaics, architecture, and other Roman creations like sloped roads and areas for baths, shops, and private gardens. The entire day was truly once in a lifetime. I would highly recommend to anyone in the area! The most amazing day!
Madeline
21 June 2025
We had an absolutely wonderful time with Raffaele! Our tour of Pompeii and the museum was not only fascinating but also incredibly educational. Raffaele's enthusiasm truly captivated us, making the hours fly by. Having experienced many tours before, I can confidently say this one ranks among the very best. A huge thank you to Raffaele—I'll be sure to recommend him to anyone looking for a remarkable experience!Favourite Tour
Sarah
15 June 2025
Raffaele was very knowledgeable and interesting to listen to. We learnt so much more about Herculaneum because of him and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. We would definitely recommend him to other travellers.Ercolano tour

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