pozzuoli e cumapozzuoli type:archaeological/historic/landscape interest:
Pozzuoli is the main city of the Campi Flegrei. It was built in 530 b. C. by some refugees came from the island of Samo and was called by them Dicearchia, that means “place of good government”. Three centuries after, this Greek colony was conquered by the Romans and called Puteoli because of the presence of “little wells” referring to the hot springs of volcanic origin. During the Augustan Age and till the II century a. C., Pozzuoli was the most important harbour of the Roman Empire and, with its intense freight traffic, allows to the whole area to have relations with many Mediterranean populations and cultures. There are not many archaelogical sites of the Greek period, but the city is full of attestations of the Roman period, above all the Temple of Serapis, the Flavian Amphitheatre and the archaelogical area of Rione Terra.
Together with these sites there are also many finds hidden among the new buildings and often not fostered or looking forward to a renovation. Besides the cisterns Piscina Luciano placed in Villa Avellino, Piscina Cardito and the thermal baths of Neptune, the centre of the city is rich in Roman finds. Though scarce is the presence of attestations of the medieval period, because in 410 a. C. the city was destroyed by the vandals of Alarico, there are many traces of the Renaissance and baroque period, above all the vice royal Palace and the watchtower that don Pedro de Toledo wanted to be erected to calm down the population after the terrific earthquake of 1538 that leads to the formation of Monte Nuovo in one night only. The urban renovation has been carried on during the 17th and 18th centuries first with the renovation of the Cathedral dome dedicated to Saint Proculus and secondly with other churches, such as Santa Maria della Consolazione, San Raffaele Arcangelo e Santa Maria della Purificazione. Very interesting is also the sanctuary of San Gennaro alla Solfatara, not far from the famous volcano. The church was realized from 1580 on in replacement of a little church where the pious people went to pray in memory of Saint Gennaro that there became martyr. The slump of the last 30 years has contributed to increase a status of urban blight that led to the total evacuation of Rione Terra between the 70s and 80s for an uninterrupted bradyseismic activity and to the later realization of quarter-ghettos, such as Monterusciello and Toiano. During the last years the city of Pozzuoli has been seeing a certain retrieval thanks to its welcoming restaurants and night clubs, but also for its strategic importance as boarding place to the Flegrean islands. Moreover the city is often the setting for many artistic and cultural events.
