Vesuvius, Pompeii and HErculaneum
The cone of the Vesuvius is an integrant and an irreplaceable part of the Gulf of Naples both if You admire it from a Sorrentine terrace or from a cliff of Mergellina.
This Vesuvius has a power which exceeds its already tremendous natural energy; its magnetic energy is capable of letting forget the peril that it also represents and at the same time it attracts everyone in an irresistible way.
The people who live along its feet are afraid but they can’t imagine being somewhere else, for this reason they pray several saints to control the lava and they tell their children that up on that mountain lives a witch called Amelia, in order to transmit them the respect that incandescent mountain deserves.
In order to protect the extraordinary biological variety due to climatic factors besides to the various eruptions occurred over the years, in 1995 originated the national Park of the Vesuvius. In this place the broom can still sprout and bloom like at the time of Giacomo Leopardi.
Following the devastating eruption of 79 a. C. the roman cities of Herculaneum, Oplonti, Pompeii and Stabia were cancelled from the physical geography of the area: lapilli and fire exploded everywhere while a black cloud covered everything.
Many centuries later, though, those same cities took a small revenge with the Volcano appearing in all their beauty during some simple excavation works during the middle of the 18th century, during the reign of Carlo III of Borbone.
Artists, intellectuals and aristocrats arrived from all over Europe by cabriolet and by coach.
Everyone was searching for a piece of his own history, but many also searched for shiver of adventure climbing the smoking crater by mule, by sedan-chair or some time later by funicular. Today, instead, it is even much easier: in half an hour by train from Sorrento You reach the biggest archeological area ever and in less than an hour by car You reach the summit of the most famous volcano of the earth.
Year after year, millions of people from every place continue that “Grand tour in the time” which is possible to accomplish by walking along the streets of the ancient Herculaneum or sitting on the seats of the theatre in Pompeii, maybe peeking in the arena of the gladiators or in the gymnasium where they used to exercise. A step into another world, then, it is amazing when You enter in the houses or in the shops of those people disappeared, or standing in front of the magnificent frescos and mosaics which narrate of a world which vanished and that, in any way, is able to return every time back to life in the marveled eye of who observes it.
Giovanni Gugg
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