| Mount Vesuvius or Vesuvio, the volcano near Naples, | | | | contemporary sculptures are described and discussed |
| is an interesting place to explore. Along with | | | | by Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia published in 77 |
| Herculaneum, its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed | | | | AD. |
| and completely buried during a long catastrophic | | | | This volcanic eruption is the first to be described in |
| eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two | | | | detail. The letter-writing Pliny the Younger was |
| days in 79 AD. Many of Pompeii's neighboring | | | | stationed about 18 miles away in Misenum from which |
| communities, most famously Herculaneum, furthermore | | | | vantage point he could see the eruption and feel the |
| suffered damage or destruction during the 79 eruption. | | | | preceding earthquakes. Campi Flegrei, also known as |
| For more Vesuvius Pompeii Herculaneumtips, keep | | | | the Phlegraean Fields (from Greek meaning burning |
| reading! | | | | fields), is a large 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) wide caldera |
| Bay of Naples | | | | situated to the west of the city of Naples. Pliny was |
| Naples is the biggest travel city in Southern Italy. Naples | | | | here with his Uncle when the eruption of Mt Vesuvius |
| is a good base for exploring Italy's Bay of Naples and | | | | happened. |
| nearby destinations such as Pompeii and Herculaneum | | | | Eruption of Mount Vesuvius |
| and Mt Vesuvius. View of the Bay of Naples are | | | | Nearby cities of Herculaneum and Nuceria were |
| breathtaking, especially from various places on Posillipo | | | | moreover affected by the earthquake of Vesuvius. By |
| hill, the top of Vesuvius or along the Sorrentine | | | | coincidence it was the day after Vulcanalia, the festival |
| Peninsula. The Gulf of Naples is a 10-mile wide gulf | | | | of the Roman god of fire. In the days after the |
| located in the south western coast of Italy, (province | | | | earthquake, anarchy ruled Pompeii, where theft and |
| of Naples, Campania region). | | | | starvation plagued the survivors. |
| Cities Vesuvius of Pompeii and Herculaneum | | | | Campi Flegrei - The Phlegraean Fields |
| The crater of Vesuvius stands 1,282 meters above | | | | The caldera, which now is essentially at ground level, is |
| sea level, 230 meters deep, and has a diameter of | | | | accessible on foot. It contains a large number of |
| about 650 meters. Pliny's uncle, the naturalist Pliny the | | | | fumaroles, from which steam can be seen issuing, and |
| Elder, was in charge of area warships, but he turned | | | | over 150 pools of boiling mud at last count. Campi |
| his fleet to rescuing residents and died. When you | | | | Flegrei is a large 13-km-wide caldera on the outskirts |
| finally reach the edge of the crater, you will be | | | | of Naples that contains numerous phreatic tuff rings |
| bewildered at its size. The ash from the eruption | | | | and pyroclastic cones. IN 1984, there was a temporary |
| preserved the town as if frozen in precious time, | | | | evacuation of 300,00 people from the centre of |
| providing a fascinating look into Italy's past. | | | | Pozzuoli and exposed more than 500,000 the risk of |
| Pliny The Elder & Pliny the Younger | | | | pyroclastic flows (several millions in case of an |
| Pliny the Elder was a Roman naturalist, scholar, | | | | ignimbritic eruption). |
| historian, traveler, officer, and writer. Many | | | | |