What to see in Pozzuoli, a list of things not to miss for a local and low cost holiday a few steps from Naples, here are the tips.
Pozzuoli it is land that does not want to stay still, it is water that swallows, it is the door of hell, the bridge between yesterday and today. Pozzuoli is the city of volcanoes and bradyseism, it is movement in its pure state. Situaza in the middle of Campi Fregrei, of the same is the heart.
It rises and falls above sea level, in relation to the underground bradyseism on which it is dependent: continuous and imperceptible motions continually shift its balance. The Puteolans know that sooner or later the port will have to move as it did years ago because the sea could swallow it or move it away and the boats, commercial activities, houses and the whole city depend on that silent movement that decides their destinies.
Il port of Pozzuoli it is small but effective. From there numerous ferries and hydrofoils leave for the islands of the nearby archipelagos. The port area is lively and always very busy, a melting pot of people and destinies.
Very nice is also the seafront, among other things recently expanded. Numerous bars, restaurants and pizzerias overlook it, making it the focal point of the Puteola nightlife.
But you don't go to Pozzuoli just to eat, have an aperitif and stroll. There are many points of interest that the tourist should not miss.
Anyone who has some knowledge of literature has heard of the lake Averno and Virgilio designated as the gateway to the underworld due to its location in the crater of an inactive volcano and its leaden and muddy waters. The very high concentration of sulfur present in those waters has meant that since ancient times the birds that happened to pass near the lake died almost immediately. Hence the name of Averno, that is without birds. The atmosphere is suggestive and nonetheless it is sulfur and muddy waters, the atmosphere is neither gloomy nor ghostly, thanks to the verdant lakeside where tourists can stroll and the locals can jog.
Another stage not to be skipped is the ai volcanoes. Go to Pozzuoli without seeing the Solfatara, the most important volcano in the Campi Flegrei area, corresponds to going to Rome without seeing the Pope !!. Visiting the Solfatara means immersing yourself in a green and sulphurous natural oasis. Walking along tree-lined avenues you reach the aforementioned volcano.
Here you can witness two very characteristic phenomena: the condensation of steam and rumble of the ground. By approaching a flame to one of the volcano's fumaroles, the vapors will gradually thicken around condensation nuclei, offering a very suggestive optical effect. Furthermore, dropping a small stone in some parts of the volcano will produce a dull sound due to the underground microcracks produced by the fumarole gases. There is also an interesting place to visit Fangaia, natural saunas, the big mouth and the mineral water well.
I also recommend a stop atMontenuovo oasis to see the youngest volcano in Europe
Pozzuoli boasts well two amphitheaters, side by side: the Flavian amphitheater and the minor Augustan amphitheater. The older Augustan amphitheater is today almost completely destroyed: its perimeter is hardly recognizable. The Flavian amphitheater, on the other hand, well preserved also thanks to the ashes of the eruptions of Vesuvius, is the third largest amphitheater in the world and the best preserved. His underground they are an excellent demonstration of the expertise of the Roman architects of the time.
Il temple of Serapis, also called Macellum, is one of the most important thermal centers of antiquity. A visit to the temple is essential because it allows you to have a precise idea of the effects of bradyseism on the city and its architecture.
The Puteola area also includes theacropolis of Cuma and the cave of the Cumaean sibyl in which the prophetess revealed her destiny to Aeneas.
And for lovers of crazy and impossible architecture there is the Caligula pier built by the emperor himself who wanted to ride his horse from Pozzuoli to Ischia !!
Catholics, even better if they are practicing, must finally go to the Sanctuary of San Gennaro to see the stone on which the saint was beheaded. It seems that on September 19, the day dedicated to San Gennaro, as well as in the Cathedral of Naples, the miracle of blood takes place. dissolves in the ampoule, in the sanctuary of San Gennaro in Pozzuoli the blood on that stone changes color and is revived.
Art, history, geology, literature and nightlife: all in one city: Pozzuoli, simply.
