Campi Flegrei, the playground of the rich and famous in Nero’s time
However, the party did not last long, because these beautiful people had unintentionally built their posh spa resorts and dream villas on an active super-volcano. The upheaval of the Phlegraean Fields may be regarded as a harbinger of the down-fall of the Roman Empire. I was only vaguely aware of the archeology and volcanism of the Phlegraean Fields until I paid a visit. In May 2024, the international press had reported that hundreds of mild earthquakes had frightened the population of Naples. At present, one million people live on an active volcano that they do not see! Geological map of the Campi Flegrei Caldera Located west of Naples, the Phlegraean Fields form a volcanic arc which encompasses the sinister Mount Vesuvius, and the idyllic island of Ischia. The 39,000-year-old caldera of the s...