Pozzuoli

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Puteoli)
Jump to navigationJump to search
Pozzuoli
Comune
Panorama of Pozzuoli
Panorama of Pozzuoli
Coat of arms of Pozzuoli
Coat of arms
Location of Pozzuoli
Pozzuoli is located in ItalyPozzuoliPozzuoli
Location of Pozzuoli in Campania
Show map of Italy
Show map of Campania
Show all
Coordinates: 40°50′40″N 14°05′36″ECoordinates: 40°50′40″N 14°05′36″E
Country Italy
Region Campania
Metropolitan city Naples (NA)
Frazioni Arco Felice, Campana Annunziata, Cuma, Licola Centro, Licola Lido,
Lucrino, Montenuovo, Monterusciello, Pisciarelli, Toiano
Government
• Mayor Vincenzo Figliolia (PD)
Area[1]
• Total 43.44 km2 (16.77 sq mi)
Elevation 28 m (92 ft)
Population (31 August 2017)[2]
• Total 81,231
• Density 1,900/km2 (4,800/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Puteolani
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
80078, 80014, 80125
Dialing code 081
Patron saint St. Proculus
Saint day November 16
Website Official website
Pozzuoli (Italian pronunciation: [potˈtswɔːli]; Latin: Puteoli) is a city and
comune of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is
the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula.

Contents
1 History
2 Main sights
3 Transportation
4 Twinnings
5 Neighboring communes
6 Notable people
7 See also
8 Footnotes
9 Bibliography
10 External links
History
Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of Dicaearchia (Greek: Δικαιαρχία). The Roman
colony, established in 194 BC, took the name Puteoli whose roots are in the Latin
puteus (well or cistern) and Oscan fistulus (quarry).[3] An alternative etymology
of Puteoli derives from the Latin puteo (to stink), referring to the sulfuric fumes
in the area, most notably from Solfatara.[4] Pozzuoli itself lies in the centre of
the Campi Flegrei, a volcanic caldera.

Puteoli was the great emporium for the Alexandrian grain ships, and other ships
from all over the Roman world. It also was the main hub for goods exported from
Campania, including blown glass, mosaics, wrought iron, and marble. The Roman naval
base at nearby Misenum housed the largest naval fleet in the ancient world. It was
also the site of the Roman Dictator Sulla's country villa and the place where he
died in 78 BC. Pliny mentions Pozzuoli as the site of a famed cochlearium created
by Fulvius Hirpinus, known for raising exquisite snails.

The local volcanic sand, pozzolana (Latin: pulvis puteolanus, "dust of Puteoli")
formed the basis for the first effective concrete, as it reacted chemically with
water. Instead of just evaporating slowly off, the water would turn this sand/lime
mix into a mortar strong enough to bind lumps of aggregate into a load-bearing
unit. This made possible the cupola of the Pantheon, which is still the world's
largest unreinforced concrete dome.

The ancient Macellum of Pozzuoli was a market building, erroneously identified as a

Serapeum when a statue of Serapis was discovered.
The apostle Paul landed here on his way to Rome, from which it was 170 miles (274
kilometres) distant. Here he stayed for seven days (Acts 28:13, 14) and then began
with his companions his journey by the Appian Way to Rome.

Puteoli is considered the best candidate for the unnamed city where the 1st-century
Roman novel Satyricon takes place.

In 37 AD Puteoli was the location for a political stunt by Emperor Gaius Caligula,
who on becoming Emperor ordered a temporary floating bridge to be built using
trading vessels, stretching for over two miles (3.2 km) from the town to the famous
neighboring resort of Baiae, across which he proceeded to ride his horse, in
defiance of an astrologer's prediction that he had "no more chance of becoming
Emperor than of riding a horse across the Gulf of Baiae".[5]

Saint Proculus (San Procolo) was martyred here with his companions in the fourth
century, and is the city's patron saint. The seven eagle heads on the coat-of-arms
for the town of Pozzuoli are said to represent seven of these martyrs. November 16
was the official feast day for Saint Proculus. St. Proculus was affectionately
nicknamed 'u pisciasotto ("the pants-pisser") because November 16 was often a day
of rain. The townspeople also celebrated his feast day on the second Sunday in May.
[6]

Charles Lyell visited Pozzuoli in 1828 and studied the Macellum columns.

Since 1946 the town has been the home of the Accademia Aeronautica, the Italian Air
Force Academy, which was first situated on the island of Nisida, then from 1962 on
a purpose-built hilltop campus overlooking the bay.

From August 1982 to December 1984 the city experienced hundreds of tremors and
bradyseismic activity which reached a peak on October 4, 1983, damaging 8,000
buildings in the city center and dislocating 36,000 people, many permanently. The
events raised the sea bottom by almost 2 m, and rendered the Bay of Pozzuoli too
shallow for large craft.

Main sights

Pozzuoli and surroundings

The town's attractions include:

The Macellum of Pozzuoli, also known as the Temple of Serapis or serapeum, is

considered the city's symbol. The "temple" was actually a marketplace. Its name
derives from the misinterpretation of its function after a statue of the god
Serapis was found in 1750 at this location. The Macellum includes three majestic
columns in Cipollino marble, which show erosion from marine Lithophaga molluscs
when, at an earlier time, the ground level was much lower due to Bradyseism, and
sea-water could flow in.[7]
Flavian Amphitheater (Amphitheatrum Flavium), the third largest Italian
amphitheater after the Colosseum and the Capuan Amphitheater.
Solfatara (volcanic crater with active fumaroles)
Forum
Minor Amphitheater, very near to the Flavian one, its remains were absorbed by
other buildings, but some arches can be seen by Via Solfatara and Via Vigna. It is
crossed by metropolitan railway and the arena is still buried
Puteoli's Baths, so called Temple of Neptune, the remains of a big thermal complex
now in Corso Terracciano which included also "Dianae Nymphaeum", this last one
partly hidden by buildings.
Villa Avellino, one of the few urban parks of Pozzuoli. It also shows several Roman
ruins and water tanks. There is also a still working Roman "face" water fountain.
Rione Terra, the first settlement of Puteoli, originally Dicearkia in Greek. It is
a multi-layered city with several Roman buildings; the most important one is the
Temple of Augustus (today the Pozzuoli's Duomo)
Necropolis of the Via Puteolis Capuam, just under the bridge that leads outside the
city near Via Solfatara
Necropolis of Via San Vito, near to Quarto
Necropolis of Via Celle, a rich complex of tombs and mausoleums, very near to an
old Roman street track still used today (Via Cupa Cigliano)
Stadium of Antoninus Pius, a very similar stadium to the Domitian one in Rome, only
partially unburied and partly collapsed (Via Campi Flegrei).
Sanctuary of San Gennaro (St. Januarius). With the Cathedral of Naples, it is one
of the two places in which the alleged miracle of the liquefaction of the saint's
blood occurs.
Acropolis of ancient city of Cumae
Lake Avernus, in which Virgil, in the 6th book of his Aeneid, placed the entrance
to Hell. The name derives from Greek, and means "Without Birds", referring to the
absence of birds due to the sulfur gas that sprung from it. Nearby are the Temple
of Apollo, the Grotto of the Cumaean Sibyl and Cocceius' Grotto, a gallery carved
by the Romans to connect Lucrino to Cumae. The latter was damaged during World War
II and is no longer visitable.
Lake Lucrino, in the frazione of the same name. The lake was considered an infernal
place, due to volcanic phenomena. It was a renowned resort in Roman times and
included the villa of Cicero, which later held the remains of emperor Hadrian.
Pliny the Elder cites it in Naturalis historia (ix, 25) as the home of a dolphin
who had made friends with a child. According to Pliny, when the child fell ill and
died, the dolphin died of broken heart also. The tale is considered the first known
Urban legend.

Anarchist monument.
A unique anarchist monument is present in the small garden close to the Roman
Macellum. It's made of a marble block and has the following text written on it:

Italian: Ciò che più importa è che il popolo, gli uomini tutti, perdano gli istinti
e le abitudini pecorili che la millenaria schiavitù ha loro ispirato ed apprendano
a pensare ed agire liberamente. Gli anarchici. English: What matters most is
that people, all men, lose their sheepish instincts and habits that longstanding
slavery has inspired in them, and they learn to think and act freely. The
anarchists.
Flavian Amphitheater (Amphitheatrum Flavium), from below

Fumarole in the Solfatara

Transportation
It is easily reached by train from Rome on Naples Metro line 2, and by the trains
of "Cumana" lines leaving from the station of Montesanto, in the city center.

Twinnings

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this
article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be
challenged and removed. (September 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this
template message)
Greece Agios Dimitrios, a suburb of Athens in Greece[citation needed]
Neighboring communes
Bacoli
Giugliano in Campania
Monte di Procida
Naples
Quarto
Notable people
Januarius, Patron Saint of Naples, executed at Solfatara c. 305
Josephus landed there on his way to Rome (The Life of Flavius Josephus; 3.16)
William Jopling, British leprologist, born there
Sophia Loren, film actress, grew up there
Gilbert, Count of Montpensier, Viceroy of Naples died there on 15 October 1496
Saint Paul, the Apostle landed there on his way to Rome. (Acts 28:13)
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Baroque composer, died there
Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Dictator of Rome, died at his villa there
Ludovica Nasti, “L’amica geniale”/“My Brilliant Friend” actress, originally from
there