Solfatara of Pozzuoli (NA) - Solfatara Volcano - Campania

It is one of the more than 40 active volcanoes that make up the Campi Flegrei, one of the areas at most significant seismic risk of our Peninsula... #tuttitaly

Position📍

About 3 km from the center of Pozzuoli is the Solfatara, an ancient volcanic crater that today represents a sort of blowhole for the magma present below the Campi Flegrei, one of the areas with the most significant seismic risk of our peninsula, located west of the Gulf of Naples.

From the main fumarole of the Solfatara, the Bocca Grande, highly toxic vapors come out; these exhalations are deposited on the surrounding rocks, giving a reddish-yellow color.

History

Formed 3900-3700 years ago, the Solfatara became, in the imperial age, the object of mining activity for the extraction of bianchetto, used as stucco.

In the 19th century, the area was transformed into a thermal establishment thanks to the curative properties of steam, mud, and water.

Its mud, used for thermal purposes, is rich in minerals, including sodium, magnesium, arsenic, zinc, and iodine.

The water was used to relieve the symptoms of vomiting and stomach pains, relax the nerves, and soothe fever and chills.

Stoves were also built, inside which it was possible to stop for a few minutes to inhale the sulfurous vapors considered optimal for treating respiratory tract and skin pathologies.

Actuality

The Solfatara di Pozzuoli was closed in 2017 after the death of a family of tourists - father, mother, and son - who fell into an abyss saturated with carbon dioxide.

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