With the tour of the Phlegraean Fields you can see a volcanic area full of Roman monuments too. There were two important eruptions in the Stone Age here.

The Phlegraean Fields area is a volcanic area full of Roman monuments too. There were two important eruptions in the Stone Age that affected a huge area. The first one 39000 years ago and the second one 15000 years ago. It’s a long time which are no longer occurred eruptions anymore, unlike Mount Vesuvius, which erupted in 1944 for the last time. Anyway, the area is under control.

The most important archaeological sites in the area are Pozzuoli, Baia and Cuma.

 Tour of the Phlegraean Fields: Pozzuoli

In Pozzuoli you can admire the wonderful amphitheater, the most important after the Colosseum of Rome, the temple of Serapis and the Volcano Solfatara.

Volcano Solfatara is a sleeping caldera of the Phlegraean Fields. People used to come here in the past for thermal treatments or for extractions of minerals too. A smell of a rotten egg is typical of this area. Here you can feel the emotion of staying inside a real volcano.

The amphitheater was the third most important one in the Roman Empire. Here there is a suggestive underground area to lift wild animals to the arena. Moreover, the famous emperor Nero was guest and Christian martyrs, like Gennaro, the patron of Naples, were persecuted.

The temple of Serapis is named after the statue of this God, that the archaeologists found in the area. Really, it was an ancient Roman market, close by the port of Pozzuoli, the most important port in the Roman Empire. In fact, Pozzuoli was in contact with the most important cities in the Mediterranean.

 Tour of the Phlegraean Fields: Baia

The second important city in the area is Baia. It was the favorite holiday place of wealthy Roman people. In fact they used to go to the spa of Baia to get relaxed.

In Baia there is an ancient Roman city too, “ Baia Underground “. It’s an area under the sea level, going down because of the famous phenomenon called bradyseism, which makes the ground lift or lower in relation to volcanic movements too.

There is in Baia an Aragonese castle too. This castle has become a kind of museum with a collection of ancient Roman remains found in the area of Pozzuoli and Cuma. It’s very interesting to see.

 Tour of the Phlegraean Fields: Cuma

Cuma, the third city, is on the north side of the area. It’s a very important city, because it was the first Greek colony in Italy. It’s one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. There is the city with the agora and the Acropolis on the hill. The most exciting place is the Cave of the Sybil, the secret rooms where the witch, mentioned by the poet Virgil, used to predict the future.

These are the most important places, but there is still so much to see in the area, that is very big.

Don’y miss the  tour of the Phlegraean Fields!