Phleghraean Fields

Abstract

Phlegraean Fields (in Italian Campi Flegrei) is a large territory, which includes a 13 km wide and 458 m high caldera, located west of Naples, Italy. Today, most of the area lies underwater. The Fields include the town of Pozzuoli and the Solfatara crater, mythological home of Vulcan, Roman god of fire. It is believed that the giant caldera was created by two major events. The first of them allegedly occurred about 40,000 years ago, erupting about 200 km3 of magma and created the Campanian ignimbrite complex. Approximately, 12,000 years ago, another major eruption occurred, which created a smaller caldera inside the main one, centered near the town of Pozzuoli (Ciancio 2005).

The Phleghraean Fields belong to the most interesting wonders of central Italy. Together with Vesuvius, the newly born volcano Monte Nuovo, which sprung up only in 1538, enormous sea-level variations were observed near the town of Pozzuoli at the Serapio Temple columns, and many other postvolcanic manifestations. Phlegraean Fields always attracted visitors from all over the world. And, tourists of these days are equally enchanted as were admirers centuries ago.