Naples Off The Beaten Path

The tiny island off the tip of Cape Posillipo is named Nisida. The original Greek settlers of the area called this small island Nesis. The Romans called it Nisida. It is here that Brutus plotted the assassination of Julius Caesar, and it is here that Cicero says apud illum multas horas in Néside—that he had a long talk with Brutus after the assassination to discuss the future of Rome. In the 1800s Nisida was the site of a Bourbon prison, then an Italian state penitentiary, and, now, a reformatory for juvenile offenders.

The Phlegraean Volcanic District is probably one of the most complex volcanic structures in the world, due to caldera collapse and repeated volcanic activity within a limited area.

Within this area there are sites of special interest; these include the Solfatara fumarolic field, Monte Nuovo caldera, Astroni caldera and the evident bradyseism.

The Solfatara crater has been a site of intense hydrothermal activity since Grecian times and is the most impressive manifestation of the current hydrothermal activity of the Campi Flegrei caldera. The manifestation includes both focused vents with a maximum temperature of approximately 160°C, and large areas of hot steaming ground.

The most obvious manifestations of bradyseism occur along the coastline where the Roman coastline can be noted to lie approximately 10m below the current sea level. One of the areas where this phenomenon is most easily seen and recorded is in the town of Pozzuoli where within the main square there is the temple of Serapeo which was constructed between the I and II century AC The site had to be restored at the beginning of the III century AC as sea water had invaded its floor.

The calderas of Monte Nuovo and Astroni are well preserved manifestations of the last period of eruptive activity.

Even though Procida is the one of the three Gulf islands which is closest to Napoli and the mainland, it's at the same time the least known and least touristy, which is something i really don't understand. The island is admittedly very small, densely populated and doesn't offer spectacular scenery; but such an authentic, placid and beautiful piece of Southern Italy can't possibly be spared from mass tourism. The entire island is a piece of art, many roads are cobblestone, hardly ever wide enough for two vehicles, the small towns are not gaudy and exude an atmosphere of long ago. Fishermen sit on the quay, mending their nets or repairing their boats. Procida's ultimate gem is the unbelievably scenic and magnificent port of Corriccella which unites all these attributes in a fascinating way. Its harbor promenade is only accessible over stairways or by boat : picture-perfect 50s flair. It's hard to believe that such a place still exists in Europe nowadays and it's just as amazing that it's devoid of tourist groups, an oasis of peace, maybe the off-the-beaten track highlight in Europe. For film buffs : parts of the remake of 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' were filmed there.
Procida can be reached by ferry from Naples (40min), Pozzuoli and Ischia (15min).

I've seen tourists drink coffee sitting down outside cafes, but never standing at the bar. The latter not only saves you money (a drink costs more drunk sitting down and even more, sitting in the outside area), it gives you a chance to talk to the locals. Often the barmen/women are friendly and will want to exchange a pleasantry or two.

If you are going to visit Pompeii or Herculaneum, you should also visit Mt. Vesuvius. You can hike all the way up to the crater. To reach the summit of Vesuvio, you can take a Trasporto Vesuviano bus from Ercolano train station. Get to Ercolano train station by the Circumvesuviana.

All I know for sure is that I was walking in Naples and on my right hand side I saw this gateway and decided that it could be something important, history wise......and I went in.

This was where I was heading (below) but as you know, I didn't make it.

www.na.infn.it/Museum/museum.htm

Dead bodies were covered by hot lava of the eruption. That Lava became hard.The dead bodies vanished except of some bones, and whenever a dead was discovered at the excarvations, the empty space inside the lava was filled with plaster, that finally showed the exact position of the body, when he died. And now we can see plenty of persons, made by plaster.

This is a Roman temple in the small suburb where the Campi Flegrei are - it amazes me always again to see, that places like this remain for thousands of years, villages and towns are built around them, but no-one removed it...