POZZUOLI
campania
Pozzuoli is a city of the province of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula.
HISTORY
Pozzuoli was one of the most important cities of the ancient world. It began as the Greek colony of Dicaearchia. The Roman colony was established in 194 BC, and took the Latin name Puteoli "little wells", referring to the many hydrothermal vents in the area. Puteoli was the great emporium for the Alexandrian grain ships, and other ships from all over the Roman world. It also was the main hub for goods exported from Campania, including blown glass, mosaics, wrought iron and marble. The Roman naval base at nearby Misenum housed the largest naval fleet in the ancient world. The Apostle Paul landed here on his way to Rome, from which it was 170 miles distant. Here he stayed for seven days (Acts 28:13, 14) then, with his companions, began his journey by the Appian Way to Rome.
Puteoli was the location for a spectacular stunt (in 37 AD) by the eccentric Caligula, who on becoming Emperor ordered a temporary floating bridge to be built using ships as pontoons, stretching for over two miles from the town to the famous neighboring resort of Baiae, across which he proceeded to ride his horse, in defiance of an astrologer's prediction that he had "no more chance of becoming Emperor than of riding a horse across the Gulf of Baiae". Saint Proculus (San Procolo) was martyred here with his companions in the IV century, and his the city's Patron Saint. The seven eagle heads on the coat of arms fro the town of Pozzuoli are said to represent seven of these martyrs. November 16th was the official feast day for Saint Proculus. St. Proculus was affectionately nicknamed 'u pisciasotto (the pants-pisser) because November 16th was often a day of rain. The townspeople also celebrated his feast on the second Sunday in May.
MAIN SIGHTS
The town has a number of tourist attractions. These include:
- The Macellum or Temple of Serapis, considered the city's symbol. The name derives from the finding of a statue of the god Serapis in 1750. It includes three majestic columns in cipolin marble, which show erosin from mollusc when the soil's level was lower than in current times.
- Amphitheatrum Flavium, the third in size in Italy after the Colosseum and the Capuan amphitheatre. It was built probably by the same architects who designed the Colosseum, slightly later of the latter, during the reigns of Vespasianus and Titus. It could contain up to 20.000 spectators. In the subterraneans are remains of the cogs used to raise the cages housing the wild animals for the spectacles.
- Solfatara (volcanic crater with active fumaroles).
- Forum
- Sanctuary of San Gennaro (St. Januarius). It is one of the two places in which the alleged miracle of the liquefaction of the Saint's blood occurs, together with the Cathedral of Naples.
- Lake Averno, in which Virgil, in the 6th book of his Aeneid, placed the entrance of the Hell. The name derives from Greek, and means "Without Birds", referring to the absence of birds due to the sulfur gas that sprung from it. Nearby are the Temple of Apollo, the Grotto of the Cumaen Sibyl and Cocceiu's Grotto, a gallery carved by the Romans to connect Lucrino to Cumae. The latter was damaged during the World War II and is no more visitable.
- Lake Lucrino, it was considered an infernal place, due to similar volcanic phenomena. It was a renowned resort in Roman times, including the villa of Cicero, which later held remains of Emperor Hadrian after his death.
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