About  .  Contact  .  Donation In 2023, archaeologists conducting an underwater survey at the ancient Roman port of Puteoli uncovered the submerged remains of a Nabataean temple This discovery marks the first known temple of this ancient Arab civilization to be found outside their traditional territories This discovery is part of the broader “Between Land and Sea” project an initiative led by the Italian Ministry of Culture and the University of Campania to explore the submerged archaeological treasures in the Gulf of Pozzuoli which dates back to the height of Nabataean-Roman relations between the reigns of Augustus (31 BCE – 14 CE) and Trajan (98 – 117 CE) was likely constructed during a period of Nabataean wealth and independence The Nabataeans controlled lucrative trade routes transporting luxury goods from the Indian Ocean across desert caravans to the Mediterranean reinforcing the importance of the Nabataean community there Researchers have identified that the temple consisted of two rooms, designated Room A and Room B, constructed using local materials such as tuff and pozzolana. The walls were built with opus reticulatum, a typically Roman technique using small volcanic tuff blocks two white marble altars made of Luni marble were found The larger altar has eight rectangular cavities believed to have housed anepigraphic betyls One of the marble slabs bears the Latin inscription “Dusari sacrum,” dedicating the temple to Dushara reflects the integration of the Nabataean merchants into the Roman world while maintaining elements of their cultural and religious identity According to the study authors: “The existence of a Nabataean sanctuary within the port area confirms that there was a community from that region participating in the commercial activities of Puteoli.” The temple’s location in the vicus Lartidianus a neighborhood associated with foreign merchants Its north-facing entrance likely linked to internal trade routes within the bustling port district The researchers propose that the temple may have been an open-air structure though the exact configuration of the roof remains unclear The decline of the Nabataean presence in Puteoli is tied to the annexation of Nabataea by the Roman Empire in 106 CE when Emperor Trajan created the province of Arabia Petraea This marked the end of Nabataean independence and the integration of their trade routes into the Roman network the temple was filled with concrete and sealed off a common practice in Rome for dealing with consecrated sites Rather than dismantling or destroying the temple and a new walking surface was built above it suggest that the temple was abandoned shortly after the creation of the Roman province of Arabia This event marked the end of the Nabataean community in Puteoli closing a chapter of cultural exchange between the Nabataeans and Romans and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Photojournalist Alessandro Gandolfi has been documenting the Phlegraean Fields in southern Italy where a record 6,740 earthquakes were recorded in 2024 and the seismic swarm has continued in 2025 The volcanic field has been active for more than 80,000 years factories and the homes of more than 600,000 people 12-year-old Angelo Di Roberto climbed into the civil defence bus with his grandfather The authorities were simulating a large-scale evacuation the kind they would have to carry out in the event of a volcanic eruption in the seismically active Campi Flegrei or Phlegraean Fields near the southern Italian city of Naples Everyone in the sprawling volcanic area hopes it will never happen During an exercise to simulate an evacuation in the event of a volcanic eruption in the Phlegraean Fields from where in theory they should depart for Milan Earthquakes continue to be recorded almost every day There were 6,066 in 2023 and as many as 6,740 in 2024 generating anxiety and fear that leads many people to spend nights in their cars or outdoors The most violent earthquake to hit the area for four decades shook buildings in and around Naples earlier this month View image in fullscreenEvery year 700,000 tourists climb the great cone of Vesuvius to admire one of the most beautiful gulfs in the world almost completely unknown volcanoes: these are the Phlegraean Fields an enormous caldera which is home to more than 600,000 people The Monte Nuovo crater with the Naples bypass on the left and the town of Pozzuoli on the right Monte Nuovo appeared during an eruption of 29 September 1538 Buildings constructed at the end of the 1980s in Monterusciello a population density that makes the entire area one of the most dangerous on earth: a supervolcano which on average erupts every 50,000 years events that are difficult to predict but have potentially disastrous consequences the Roman city buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD That year various buildings still showed signs of damage from a powerful earthquake that had struck 17 years earlier A group of boys observe the summit of Vesuvius from Mount Somma – originally part of Vesuvius – on the morning of 3 May when Christian and pagan traditions mix in a celebration of the volcano technicians from the national institute of geophysics and volcanology (INGV) smoke is billowing from the fissures and the river of boiling mud takes on a reddish colour Antonio Caradente and Rosario Avino monitor activity in the Pisciarelli area of the Phlegraean Fields At the foot of Vesuvius INGV volcanologists prepare an electrical resistivity tomography test to verify They check sensors placed to monitor Solfatara, a shallow volcanic crater at Pozzuoli and before leaving they cast an eye inside an abandoned building Here the walls are covered with yellowish sulphurous incrustations that are slowly but surely breaking through the walls and floor “Get out quickly because the carbon dioxide levels are very high and could be harmful,” Rosario shouts Homes and farmland in the Cigliano craters in the heart of the Phlegraean Fields with its white rocks and perennial vapours is an evocative place and a destination for tourists The area was closed in 2017 after a child and his parents fell into a cavity and died Evening training on a football pitch a few dozen metres from Solfatara The true morphology of this crater-rich land can only really be grasped from above A bird’s eye view reveals that those circles disguised as hills and covered with dwellings are The Temple of Serapis or Macellum was in reality a Roman public market Today it has become a symbol of bradyseism because sometimes it is completely dry and at other times it is flooded with seawater Evacuees in Pozzuoli in 1983 when earthquakes and bradyseism triggered an emergency The photo is kept at the headquarters of the cultural association which collects photographs books and other material on the Phlegraean Fields and the phenomenon of bradyseism continues to raise the ground across the Phlegraean Fields It raised Pozzuoli by two metres in the 1980s leading to the evacuation of 40,000 people from the Rione Terra neighbourhood Bradyseism has always existed in these parts On the Roman columns of the Temple of Serapis you can still see the holes made by stone-eroding organisms created when the ground subsided about 10 metres in the following centuries For a long time they were submerged in sea water the director of INGV’s Vesuvius observatory “The ground keeps breaking and deforming,” Mauro Di Vito “And the accumulation of stress generates earthquakes But this is an expected phenomenon and it is very likely that earthquakes will continue We will all have to get used to reacting in a positive way Our job is to monitor and measure the parameters.” The Phlegraean Fields are among the most monitored volcanoes in the world designed to detect the smallest sign of an awakening that will happen sooner or later There is a contingency plan for a mass evacuation Two women enter the swimming pool at the Terme Vesuviana spa in Naples The mineral springs connected to Vesuvius have been exploited for their health benefits since Roman times Men sunbathe on the public beach in Torre Annunziata The black volcanic sand is renowned for its healing properties What we do know is that past eruptions have made the land of the Gulf of Naples some of the most fertile in the world the Piennolo tomato and native grape varieties such as Piedirosso and Falanghina They have also generated thermal emissions that have been exploited for centuries and provided precious yellow ash stone known as tuff despite being one of the most dangerous lands in the world the area between the Phlegraean Fields and Vesuvius is also one of the most populous sing and play traditional instruments at the summit of Mount Somma on the morning of 3 May during a celebration dedicated to the volcano when Christian rites mix with pagan tradition View image in fullscreenCertainly those who live in the area establish a visceral bond with the volcano built on fear and respect the inhabitants have always relied on a belief in divine benevolence naming not only churches and festivals after local Madonnas and saints One is dedicated to the melting of the blood of San Gennaro which for centuries has been thought by some to ward off magma It has moulded the fatalistic character of those who live here aqueducts and passages dug into the volcanic rock illegal waste disposal and reckless urban planning that fuels landslides and floods with devastating consequences the possibility of an eruption is secondary and a recent survey revealed that for the population of the Phlegraean Fields the perception of risk is low A family relaxes on the shores of Lake Fusaro born of a sulphurous volcanic formation in Pozzuoli Architect Anna Savarese from Legambiente notes the narrow underpass through which the autorities have identified an escape route in the event of a volcanic eruption in Pozzuoli ‘Not even an ambulance would pass through it Those who live in the Pozzuoli area forget that although they do not have a conical mountain looming over them what they have under their feet is a time bomb And no one really knows when it will explode Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker LBV Magazine English Edition where the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea caress the shores of the ancient Roman city of Puteoli a team of archaeologists discovered in 2023 the remains of a submerged Nabataean temple the first of its kind ever found outside the traditional territories of this ancient Arab people the result of collaboration between the Italian Ministry of Culture and the University of Campania with the participation of the Scuola Superiore Meridionale for underwater areas is part of the “Between Land and Sea” project an ambitious initiative that seeks to shed light on the rich archaeological heritage lying beneath the waters off the Phlegraean coast shaped by millennia of volcanic activity and subjected to continuous processes of land uplift and subsidence has preserved beneath the current sea level an extraordinary testimony to the port and commercial life of ancient Rome The ripa Puteolana, a strip of submerged Roman districts stretching over two kilometers between the port of Puteoli and Portus Iulius is just one piece of a complex puzzle that spans the entire Gulf of Pozzuoli which reached its peak during the Augustan era (31 B.C represented the forefront of urban planning and architectural development in a bustling port district that played a crucial role in maritime trade The coast was dominated by warehouses for storing goods forming an urban landscape that reflected the strategic importance of Puteoli in the Mediterranean trade networks discovered thanks to meticulous aerial photogrammetric documentation carried out in 2022 is in a surprisingly good state of preservation archaeologists have identified and documented two rooms (A and B) bordered by walls of opus reticulatum a typically Roman construction technique consisting of a facing of small blocks of volcanic tuff arranged in a net-like pattern two white marble altars from Luni remain in situ leaning against the southern perimeter wall measures 1.6 x 0.38 x 0.65 meters and features a mensa with eight rectangular cavities probably intended to house anepigraphic betyls small sacred stones characteristic of Nabataean worship a dedicatory inscription reads Dusari sacrum has only three similar rectangular cavities The presence of these altars and the inscriptions dedicated to Dushara not only confirm the Nabataean nature of the temple but also shed light on the integration of this community of merchants into the social and economic fabric of Puteoli The choice of Latin for the inscriptions and the use of local construction techniques and materials suggest a high degree of acculturation while still preserving the essential elements of their faith and traditions which probably consisted of a rectangular floor plan with two rooms and a north-facing entrance was linked to the internal routes of the vicus Lartidianus one of the commercial neighborhoods of ancient Puteoli Although the exact configuration of the roof has yet to be determined the presence of the altars in room A suggests the possibility that it was an open-air sacellum a not unusual feature in Nabataean places of worship The construction of the sanctuary dates back to a golden age for the Nabataeans which spanned from the reign of Augustus to that of Trajan (98-117 A.D.) the Nabataeans enjoyed friendship with Rome and independence from their homeland allowing them to accumulate enormous wealth thanks to their control of the traffic of luxury goods from the East These precious goods traveled from the Indian Ocean likely passing through Alexandria and certainly through Puteoli changed dramatically with the creation of the Roman province of Arabia Petraea by Trajan in 106 A.D This annexation marked the end of Nabataean independence and the absorption of their trade routes into the general network controlled by the Roman state leaving little room for the initiatives of a people who had lost their autonomy The decline of Nabataean trade and the end of their small monopoly seem to be the most plausible explanations for the abandonment of the sanctuary with no iconoclastic intent and with Rome’s typical superstitious respect for consecrated places Instead of dismantling or destroying the sacred elements of Dushara which would have required complicated desacralization rites and a new transit surface was built over it The strategic and central location of the area made it unthinkable that it would remain abandoned for long The materials found in the fill’s stratigraphy with amphorae at the bottom and no material dating after the end of the 1st century A.D. confirm that the site’s obliteration occurred shortly after the creation of the province of Arabia in 106 A.D This event seems to mark the end of the Nabataean presence in Puteoli closing a fascinating chapter of cultural and economic exchange in the heart of the Roman Empire The presence of a sanctuary dedicated to an ancient Arab deity in the heart of a Roman port vividly illustrates the complexity and richness of the cultural interactions that characterized the ancient world Stefanile M, Silani M, Tardugno ML, The submerged Nabataean temple in Puteoli at Pozzuoli, Italy: first campaign of underwater research. Antiquity. 2024;98(400):e20. doi:10.15184/aqy.2024.107 Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email The Parthenon temple on the Acropolis of Athens housed a colossal statue made of gold and ivory carved by the famous sculptor Phidias in 438 BC Two thousand years before the Inca Empire extended its dominion over the Andes a much less known yet culturally influential society—known as the Chavín Phenomenon—had already developed numerous artistic expressions,… while the Byzantine Empire was mired in a succession crisis sought to take advantage and launched his conquest Archaeologists from universities in the United States and Denmark found deep within the Actun Uayazba Kab cave in Belize two small stone tools dated between 250 and 900 AD that… men and women gathered to play a game called Cuju A team of researchers has succeeded in recreating for the first time in a laboratory experiment a phenomenon that until now only existed as a theory in the realm of… the Cantonal Archaeology of Aargau carried out a rescue excavation between early May 2024 and the end of March 2025 The Egyptian archaeological mission affiliated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities announced the discovery of a group of defensive structures and a system of moats that could indicate… In the southeastern area of the city of Rome archaeologists excavating inside the Triton Baths within the monumental complex of the Villa di Sette… Why did some animals from ancient eras become fossils while others simply disappeared without a trace Receive our news and articles in your email for free You can also support us with a monthly subscription and receive exclusive content Examples of the altars and inscribed marble slabs found off the coast of Pozzuoli The archaeologists' map of their excavation of the Nabataean temple An ancient temple made by Arabian immigrants from the Nabataean culture has finally been found off the Italian coast near Naples However, the elaborate temple was later buried with a mix of concrete and broken pottery, possibly due to foreign traders leaving the area, according to a study published Sept. 12 in the journal Antiquity "For me this was one of the most unexpected discoveries," study first author Michele Stefanile a maritime archaeologist at the Southern Graduate School (Scuola Superiore Meridionale) Volcanic activity over the centuries has significantly changed the coastline at Pozzuoli submerging and preserving around 1.2 miles (2 km) of Roman-era warehouses and other buildings associated with the ancient port district Artifacts recovered from the sea as far back as the 18th century suggested that there was a buried temple Related: 2,000-year-old tomb holding 12 skeletons found at Petra where 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' was filmed researchers mapping the region's seafloor discovered two submerged rooms with Roman-style walls which measured about 32 feet by 16 feet (10 by 5 meters) Two altars of white marble were leaning against the wall of one room Both altars included several rectangular recesses Each of the rooms also contained a marble slab with the Latin inscription "Dusari sacrum," meaning "consecrated to Dushara," the main god in the ancient Nabataean religion Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox "It seems that we have a building dedicated to the Nabataean gods but with Roman architecture and Latin inscription," Stefanile said The Nabataean Kingdom reached from northern Arabia to the eastern Mediterranean. In the fourth to second centuries B.C., the Nabataeans controlled a growing trade network of luxury goods such as incense, gold accumulating huge wealth by the late first century A.D The enormous tomb often called The Treasury at the Nabataean capital of Petra was built around that time "It makes perfect sense that the Nabataeans would be in Puteoli as a community of traders," Steven Tuck a Roman historian at Miami University in Ohio who was not involved in the study Puteoli was the second-largest city and the main harbor of Roman Italy at the time and the "Nabataeans would have been drawn there and brought their religious practices with them." Laurent Tholbecq an archaeologist at Université libre de Bruxelles told Live Science in an email that "it is not surprising to find a temple to Dushara/Dusares "It is widely understood that the Nabataeans benefitted from the Roman advance in the Near East until the creation of the Arabian province under Trajan," a Roman emperor who ruled from A.D —2,700-year-old temple with altar overflowing with jewel-studded offerings unearthed on Greek island —1,800-year-old altar to pagan god Pan hidden in a Byzantine church —Ancient sanctuary used by Roman soldiers nearly 2,000 years ago found in the Netherlands After Nabataea was annexed into the Roman Empire in A.D the culture's control over the inland caravan trade in Arabia collapsed The destruction of the temple at Puteoli may reflect that turbulent time Stefanile and his team discovered that the temple was purposefully buried in the second century A.D "Possibly after Trajan's conquest of Arabia in 106 A.D. the Nabataeans had no more possibility of free trading in Puteoli and they possibly abandoned the harbor," Stefanile said Kristina KillgroveStaff writerKristina Killgrove is a staff writer at Live Science with a focus on archaeology and paleoanthropology news Her articles have also appeared in venues such as Forbes, Smithsonian Killgrove holds postgraduate degrees in anthropology and classical archaeology and was formerly a university professor and researcher She has received awards from the Society for American Archaeology and the American Anthropological Association for her science writing Pompeii quiz: How much do you know about the Roman town destroyed by Mount Vesuvius Mini ice age was final death blow to Roman Empire May's full 'Flower Moon' will be a micromoon fed up with their customers fleeing seismic tremors are offering free and discounted meals to those who stay until dessert as the ground shudders beneath their feet The deals are being offered in the seaside town of Pozzuoli where the record 1,800 tremors registered in February were not enough to damage buildings but were sufficient to scare off visitors there to see the Roman amphitheatre and eat local fish a large caldera volcano atop a vast magma chamber — 8km (five miles) below the ground — which belches gas into the rock above shattering it and causing tremors while pushing the ground level up in a cyclical phenomenon known as bradyseism Seismic activity is part of everyday life for localsKONTROLAB/GETTY IMAGES• Campi Flegrei Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is monitoring the evolution of the situation in close contact with the Civil Protection Department has signed the decree to order the extraordinary mobilization of the national Civil Protection service for the Campi Flegrei area “The measure was necessary to support the Campania region to – explains Musumeci – deal with the critical situation caused by the seismic swarm which caused a serious situation of danger for the safety of people and for the security of public and private property The request of the president of the region was thus accepted – the minister informs – after the rapid investigation of the national Civil Protection department In order to better operate in the difficult situation the same department will thus ensure the coordination of the intervention of the national Civil Protection service and of the organized volunteers of other Regions in support of the regional structures of Campania The objective is to contribute to providing assistance and relief to the populations involved” A magnitude 4,4 earthquake with epicenter in Pozzuoli was recorded during the night by the Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology It is the most violent earthquake in the last 40 years equal in magnitude to the one recorded last year on May 20 The earthquake was felt not only in the area but throughout the Naples area In Bagnoli the earthquake caused the collapse of a floor the woman is not in serious condition and checks on the stability of the buildings are still underway At the moment there are no reports of damage or injured people in the Pozzuoli area We are setting up waiting areas at Lungomare Pertini at the Urban Park of Via Vecchia delle Vigne (C9) and in Agnano Pisciarelli Starting from the early hours of the morning the municipal technicians and those of the Metropolitan City will proceed with checks in all the schools in the area educational activities for tomorrow will be suspended" wrote the mayor of Pozzuoli Hundreds of people poured into the streets The Civil Protection Department activated the Crisis Unit in connection with the local structures of the National Civil Protection Service Waiting areas for citizens are being set up The tremor was felt by the population and initial checks have so far reported minor damage and one injured person caused by the collapse of a false ceiling has constantly monitored the evolution of the situation following the strong earthquake that hit the Campi Flegrei area this night This was reported in a note from Palazzo Chigi President Meloni is keeping in close contact with Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano and with the head of the Department of Civil Protection which is different from the volcanic emergency risk "envisages the movement of people who want to leave their homes to reception areas which we set up very promptly" instead "evacuation is triggered within the volcanic plane "The effect of the seismic wave was felt in the city of Naples but the shock was felt throughout the area - he explained - During the night I called the Crisis Unit to immediately take energetic action with the Prefecture of Naples and the regional civil protection and the municipalities involved for the coordination activity which resulted in the setting up of waiting and reception areas for the population schools in the municipality of Pozzuoli and in the municipalities of Agnano and Bagnoli are closed today" Read also other news on Nova News Click here and receive updates on WhatsApp Follow us on the social channels of Nova News on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Telegram Stefanile/AntiquityThe submerged Nabataean temple off the coast of Pozzuoli as it was known at the time — was an important Roman port city traveled there to trade their luxury goods and they established a temple to Dushara along the port volcanic activity altered the coastline and submerged parts of Puteoli Archaeologists have been finding evidence of the temple since the 18th century but they were never able to locate it — until now researchers finally found the temple while mapping the seafloor off the coast of Pozzuoli The ancient structure contained two rooms separated by Roman-style walls the primary god in the ancient Nabataean religion Archaeologists also discovered that the temple was intentionally buried when the Nabataeans left the region raising questions about when — and why — they abandoned the port Researchers weren’t planning to find the long-lost Nabataean temple when they began mapping the seafloor off the coast of Pozzuoli in 2023. As Michele Stefanile, an author of the study about the temple that was recently published in Antiquity “For me this was one of the most unexpected discoveries.” The research team noticed two rooms beneath the surface of the water they realized they were separated by Roman-style walls and contained Latin inscriptions that read “consecrated to Dushara,” the main Nabataean god One of the rooms contained two white marble altars with spaces for stones that were sacred to the religion of the Nabataeans Stefanile/AntiquityAn illustration of the temple’s layout Archaeologists aren’t sure what the temple looked like, but it may have been an open-air sacellum, or shrine. “It seems that we have a building dedicated to the Nabataean gods, but with Roman architecture and Latin inscription,” Stefanile told Live Science The Nabataean kingdom was located in northern Arabia, but its trade routes stretched as far west as Italy. The Nabataeans created the famous tomb carved into the desert stone in Petra, Jordan, known as “The Treasury.” Parts of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were filmed at the ancient site though the plot of the movie has nothing to do with the true history of the Nabataeans The wealthy Nabataean people traded luxury goods like gold It’s evident why they would have wanted to establish a presence at a busy Roman port a Roman historian at Miami University in Ohio “It makes perfect sense that the Nabataeans would be in Puteoli as a community of traders Nabataeans would have been drawn there and brought their religious practices with them.” Stefanile/AntiquityWhite marble altars and inscribed slabs were uncovered at the site The Nabataeans seemingly enjoyed trade privileges in the Roman Empire until Emperor Trajan annexed their kingdom in 106 C.E and the civilization’s trade routes changed dramatically the temple in Puteoli was abandoned and subsequently filled with the mixture of concrete and broken pottery Romans held strong beliefs about desecrating sacred spaces so they likely chose to fill up the temple and build over it as opposed to destroying the structure “Possibly after Trajan’s conquest of Arabia in 106 [C.E.] and they possibly abandoned the harbor,” said Stefanile This annexation seemingly marked the end of Nabataean influence in ancient Rome with only remnants left behind for archaeologists to discover 2,000 years later After reading about the Nabataean temple off the coast of Italy, dive into the story of Baiae, the “Las Vegas” of ancient Rome that is now submerged underwater. Then, view 29 fascinating images of temples and places of worship around the world four large open-plan laboratories designed to host over 200 Italian and foreign researchers in an area totalling over 5000 square metres: the new premises of the Telethon Institute for Genetics and Medicine (Tigem) is set to open in the former "Olivetti area" in Pozzuoli in a building that has been renovated and reconverted partly thanks to an investment of some € 10 million from the National Operative Programme for "Research and Competitiveness" 2007-2013 which allowed for the use of European Union funding Tigem has expanded its research activity over the years thanks to the structural support of Telethon which has invested € 58.5 million in the Institute and to the funding the Institute itself has been able to attract from institutions foundations and companies both in Italy and abroad including several foreign researchers and Italian researchers who have returned to Italy from abroad will be increased by 30% with the move to the new premises scheduled for spring 2014.Presented at the Aeronautical Academy of Pozzuoli before Italian President Giorgio Napolitano the new premises of Tigem will be named in memory of Susanna Agnelli the unforgettable president of Telethon from its foundation in 1990 until her death in 2009 the current president of the Telethon Foundation world-class research can still be conducted here in Italy efficiency and transparency with regard to how research projects are funded Thanks to its ability to attract funding and researchers even from abroad Tigem represents an opportunity for development for Italy and for the South».Through its 19-year existence Tigem has become an international benchmark for research into the mechanisms underlying genetic diseases and the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies the Institute will receive funding of € 17 million for research projects to be carried out in the five-year period from 2012 to 2017; this money will allow for the results of scientific research to be turned into treatments that can be applied to patients commented: «The expansion of Tigem is a victory for Telethon which has had faith in this project and has supported it since 1994 represented by the new home of the Institute has been made possible thanks to the contribution of the Italian people who have been lending their support to Telethon for 23 years and it spurs us on to keep improving and to make an increasingly significant contribution to research into rare genetic diseases aimed at coming up with treatments for patients» who in 1994 decided to move back to Italy from the USA to head the research centre said: «The work we do at Tigem is founded on three essential aspects: passion Thanks to Telethon and to Italian generosity Tigem researchers have been given the opportunity to effectively study the mechanisms underlying serious diseases that merit allows for operations made difficult by the current economic situation» In addition to the 4 open-plan laboratories the new Tigem premises will also include an auditorium seating 160 offices for the heads of the research projects and for administration technical areas given over to research tools such as electronic microscopes and computers for bioinformatics The new Institute will be housed in the former Olivetti area in Pozzuoli a place that played an important role in Italian industrial history The Olivetti factory in Pozzuoli dates back to 1954 when it was built on a project by the architect from Naples Luigi Cosenza the factory employed a total staff of 1300 a variety of mechanical and electronic devices were produced in the factory the factory was gradually converted into office premises the scenic beach town outside Naples where Sophia Loren was born the most powerful earthquake for 40 years on Monday drove terrified inhabitants to sleep in their cars and an emergency camp on the seafront Pozzuoli is part of a densely populated area that sits on the most dangerous volcano in Europe which destroyed the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in A.D Politicians turned a blind eye for decades as in an area of exceptional natural beauty and desirable coastal real estate building ran amok and the population swelled Half a million people now live in towns across the danger zone The volcano last erupted 500 years ago. But, since last summer, small tremors have grown more frequent, to the point where scientists have been recording more than 1,000 a month. Then, on Monday Pozzuoli was rattled by a 4.4-magnitude earthquake and 150 tremors in a single night While the quake wasn’t big enough to cause serious damage the resulting panic appears to have finally jolted the authorities into taking action after dragging their feet for decades They are now preparing emergency plans to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people. And the national government is for the first time considering a more radical option: paying people to leave Speaking after an emergency meeting of ministers on Wednesday Minister for Civil Protection Nello Musumeci said residents were living with three risks: a big earthquake; a rise in the ground level caused by magma filling the underground chambers; and a “very complex Evacuation would be a problem, he told a press conference, “if following a powerful quake 3,000 or 4,000 people got in their cars to leave and emergency services wouldn’t be able to move.” For local independent politician Mara Muscarà, a regional councillor, decades of permissive government that has allowed illegal construction to flourish — with successive governments granting amnesties to legalize runaway development — has put people in danger. The area is “a paradise,” she told POLITICO. “The landscape is exceptionally beautiful and the climate is an eternal spring with the thermal activity even heating water in your home.” However the coastline’s natural beauty has made it vulnerable with opportunities for speculation fuelling constant urban development: “It’s everyone’s fault — even of the citizens. There is resignation and low expectations.” For Michele Buonomo of environmental campaign group Legaambiente, the problem has never been addressed “because it’s not profitable, and it’s always seemed too big to resolve. Where could you send all these people?” Italy tends to react well to disasters but does little to mitigate them beforehand, he said: “This country has one of the best civil protection services in the world but it only reacts to emergencies. There is no prevention,” he told POLITICO. While it’s impossible to predict with certainty when Campi Flegrei might erupt, when it finally does so the impact could be devastating. Its last eruption in 1538 led to the formation of a mountain. And a massive blowout 40,000 years ago cloaked much of eastern Europe with ash — with traces found as far away as today’s Russia. Buonomo said that the danger to the public could be mitigated by rehousing local people elsewhere. This would make it easier to evacuate those who remain in an emergency, he argued. Homes and schools for those who remain must be made safe, and residents should be informed about what to do an in an emergency — with evacuation tests. Muscarà presented legislation last year to the regional parliament banning new construction and incentivizing people to leave, but says her proposals were ignored and languished “in a drawer.” Musumeci, the civil protection minister, acknowledged that the state has been slow to act, but claims the government is now preparing to do everything it can to mitigate the risks.  “We southerners are a bit detached, a bit fatalistic, we are used to knocking on wood,” he said, saying that those who choose to live there know the risks and must now be responsible. “We only remember [the volcano] when the earth shakes and this is a great error — we need to live in vigilant coexistence with the danger.” Authorities have so far removed 250 people from their homes as they carry out safety checks on buildings, and are briefing residents on evacuation plans. For the first time ministers are now discussing whether to pay residents to leave. “If there are those who say, ‘Mr Government, with all due respect, I don’t want to stay here,’ what should the government do in this situation? Support this decision? Help them? Or turn away?” Musumeci said, saying this issue was “at the center of the agenda.” The government also plans finally to ban new construction, he said, saying it was impossible to contemplate urban development at the same time as mass evacuations. The government has pledged an initial €500 million for the most vulnerable area, a sum that would fall short if thousands of people chose to relocate.   But what could be equally problematic for the government is that many more will want to stay, avoiding uprooting their families and protecting their homes amid fears about looting. Having lived in the danger zone all their lives, there is diffidence, said Muscarà, the independent local politician. “People have lived here for generations. They are used to earthquakes. They say this is my land, I don’t want to leave.”   With Trump back in the White House, the alt right are attempting a hostile takeover of the group deciding on the next pope. Emotional tributes to the popular Pope Francis came amid a diplomatic scramble to meet with the U.S. president. Will the Italians get the papacy back? Or is it time for the first African in the modern era? A conclave will gather in the weeks ahead to elect a new pontiff. His was a dramatic papacy, frustrating conservatives and progressives alike. Beloved by the faithful, he leaves behind a divided Church. Will Hartman New York 10013">.css-56eu0z{width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;line-height:1em;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray100);vertical-align:middle;fill:currentColor;}133 Mulberry St New York Going to the Feast of San Gennaro and not getting a sausage and peppers sandwich is like going to an amusement park and only playing rigged arcade games which has a bunch of stalls throughout the Feast perfectly griddled sausage wheels get cut into links and are slapped onto soft bread with a huge pile of sweet onions and peppers They’ve also got a pork braciole sandwich if you’ve been through a couple of times and are looking for something different Make sure you have your cash in your hand when you order—the guys who work the grills here don’t mess around Pozzuoli'sDanny On The CornerCannoli KingUmberto'sVinny's Nut HouseNaples in the southern Campania region was shaken by a 4.4-magnitude earthquake in the early hours of Thursday 13 March The earthquake occurred at 01.25 at a depth of two kilometres in Pozzuoli, Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) said in a statement The quake was the same high intensity as the one last May - the strongest to hit Campi Flegrei in 40 years - and comes about a month after the area was struck by a 3.9 magnitude earthquake The tremor caused structural damage to buildings in Pozzuoli and the Bagnoli area west of Naples where panicked residents ran into the streets many of them spending the night in their cars — INGVterremoti (@INGVterremoti) March 13, 2025 Firefighters rescued a woman in Pozzuoli after the ceiling in her house collapsed while in Bagnoli rescuers worked to free people trapped in their homes, with some residents climbing out windows Bacoli and Bagnoli are set to be closed on Thursday as a precautionary measure urged local residents to "remain calm" and to get their information and updates from official channels Declared a regional park 20 years ago, the Campi Flegrei area is a highly seismic zone of supervolcanic calderas, situated to the west of Naples and about 50 kilometres from Mount Vesuvius The Campi Flegrei volcano last erupted in 1538 however earthquakes have been common in the area since 1950 with a surge of seismic unrest in the early 1980s Experts believe the recent spike in seismic activity is linked to bradyseism a phenomenon that involves the gradual uplift or descent of part of the earth's surface caused by the filling or emptying of underground magma chambers or hydrothermal activity There are 15 towns in the Campi Felgrei area with a combined population of more than half a million people living in the so-called 'red zone' most at risk Last year the Italian government announced new measures in light of the increased seismic activity in the area, updating emergency plans for a possible mass evacuation Wanted in Rome ™ is member of the Wanted World Wide Ltd network.Click here to find out more about our Network or Follow us on social networks © 2025 / 2026 Wanted World Wide LTD Network “444 static checks have been carried out by firefighters in the areas of Bacoli This is what can be read on the Firefighters' profile X An earthquake of magnitude 3.9 occurred yesterday This is what can be read on the X profile of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) Musumeci signs the state of national mobilization which has caused a serious situation of danger for the safety of people and for the security of public and private property The request of the president of the region has thus been accepted – the minister informs – after the rapid investigation of the national Civil Protection department To better operate in the difficult situation Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain and this is never more accurate than when you establish yourself as a foreign resident in a new country Being able to quickly familiarise yourself with the culture and customs can help ease the transition during a challenging time This is why Euro Weekly News makes it our mission to provide you with a free news resource in English that covers both regional and national Spanish news – anything that we feel you will benefit from knowing as you integrate into your new community and live your best life in Spain you can forget about translating articles from Spanish into awkward English that probably don’t make much sense Let us be your convenient and essential guide to all things that will likely affect you as a foreign resident living in Spain A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck Naples in the early hours of Thursday forcing many residents to spend the night outdoors or in their cars due to fears of aftershocks had a shallow depth of three kilometres according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) The earthquake’s epicentre was located between Naples and the town of Pozzuoli The tremor caused power outages in some parts of Naples with reports of damage emerging from Pozzuoli where one person was rescued from the rubble of a partially collapsed house A resident told GB News: “I was fast asleep when I heard a huge sound and started running outside but the city centre and Pozzuoli suffered the most.” Many people reportedly sought shelter in open spaces schools in Pozzuoli and two neighbouring districts have been temporarily closed for structural safety inspections Naples and its surrounding areas are prone to seismic activity due to their location within the Phlegraean Fields has reignited concerns about the region’s long-term stability Officials continue to monitor the situation closely with experts warning of possible further tremors in the coming days View all news in Italy Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain by delivering news with a social conscience we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP) Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall) All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE Download our media pack in either English or Spanish The discovery of a submerged Nabataean temple in Pozzuoli reveals a 2,000-year-old blend of Roman and Middle Eastern cultures A recent discovery has brought new light to an ancient Mediterranean port and its role in cross-cultural exchanges. Near Naples, Italy, archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000-year-old Nabataean temple off the coast of Pozzuoli This discovery adds a remarkable chapter to the history of Nabataean civilization a culture best known for the rock-carved monuments of Petra in Jordan the Nabataeans left their mark with a temple built in Roman architectural style but dedicated to their supreme god offering a blend of cultural influences that was largely unexpected The findings are the result of the "Between Land and Sea" project, a collaboration involving the Italian Ministry of Culture and the University of Campania The project has focused on the ripa Puteolana a 2-kilometer stretch of submerged Roman structures that once formed part of Puteoli's bustling port system one that connected Mediterranean trade routes Puteoli was a major entry point for goods like grain from Egypt and North Africa and its infrastructure reflected its prominence including extensive warehouses and elaborate buildings volcanic activity ultimately submerged these structures In 2023, during the documentation of the submerged port, archaeologists identified the remnants of a Nabataean sanctuary, an unexpected find as Nabataean architecture is generally confined to the Middle East “For me this was one of the most unexpected discoveries.” His team featuring two rooms lined with marble altars Each altar was inscribed with the phrase “Dusari sacrum”—Latin for “consecrated to Dushara”—confirming the building’s purpose as a place of worship for Nabataean deities The inscriptions also mark a rare use of Latin for Nabataean religious sites a shift likely reflecting the community’s immersion in the Roman world Archaeologists used a photogrammetric survey to create detailed reconstructions of the temple's architecture. They found two distinct rooms, designated Room A and Room B, each demarcated by sturdy opus reticulatum walls—a style characteristic of Roman construction two marble altars remain in place against the southern wall features eight recessed spaces thought to hold aniconic betils symbolized divinities without depicting their forms allowing worshipers to honor Dushara through a uniquely Nabataean lens white marble slabs with the dedication “Dusari sacrum” provided further confirmation of the temple's purpose Near the southeast corner of Room B, archaeologists found a concrete block structure, likely a plinth, covered with cocciopesto, a waterproof Roman mortar This discovery suggested that the temple had undergone modifications with researchers noting that a small basin had been added next to the plinth at a later date The plinth and surrounding mortar surfaces could have served ritual purposes enhancing the temple’s role as a site of devotion The discovery not only reveals architectural details but also speaks to the lives of the Nabataean merchants who thrived in Puteoli Under Augustus's rule from 31 BCE to 14 CE Rome had fostered a golden age of economic freedom for its allies allowing the Nabataeans to integrate and flourish within Roman society Nabataean merchants at Puteoli benefited from Rome's vast trade network, dealing in valuable goods like spices and silk from the Indian Ocean reflects this integration: tuff and pozzolana stones were abundant in the region while expensive Luni marble—likely imported—covered parts of the walls and altars Roman influence is evident in the Augustan style of the altars and the use of Latin suggesting a desire by the Nabataean community to communicate across cultural boundaries The sanctuary not only served as a religious space but also as a social and economic hub where the Nabataean god Dushara provided symbolic protection over trade activities “It seems that we have a building dedicated to the Nabataean gods but with Roman architecture and Latin inscription,” emphasizing the blending of traditions However, this golden age was not to last. After Trajan’s conquest of the Nabataean Kingdom in 106 CE, the region was absorbed into the Roman province of Arabia Petraea shifting control of trade networks away from local communities the once-prosperous Nabataean merchants gradually lost their economic autonomy rather than desecrating the site or dismantling the sacred stones Nabataean worshipers chose to preserve the temple by filling it with concrete and other materials This act may have stemmed from Rome’s respect for consecrated sites which often prevented outright destruction Instead, the temple was entombed, left intact under a new floor as Puteoli continued to grow around it. Layers of amphorae fragments from Dressel 2–4, commonly used during the first century, suggest that this filling process likely occurred shortly after Rome annexed Nabataea The final resting place of the temple's sacred stones is unknown though the decision to fill the temple may have been influenced by a desire to preserve its sanctity even as Roman authorities reshaped the port This submerged sanctuary in Pozzuoli reveals not only the Nabataean adaptation to Roman customs but also the endurance of their traditions within a new world Their choice to construct a temple in the heart of Roman trade exemplifies a commitment to cultural heritage and a willingness to integrate this unique find in the Gulf of Pozzuoli preserves the memory of a people who once bridged the worlds of the East and West Note: Materials provided above by The Brighter Side of News Content may be edited for style and length Like these kind of feel good stories? Get The Brighter Side of News' newsletter Joshua Shavit is a Los Angeles-based science and technology writer with a passion for exploring the breakthroughs shaping the future As a contributor to The Brighter Side of News he focuses on positive and transformative advancements in AI Joshua is currently working towards a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the University of California He combines his academic background with a talent for storytelling making complex scientific discoveries engaging and accessible His work highlights the innovators behind the ideas bringing readers closer to the people driving progress Cracks form in buildings after 150 quakes follow 4.4-magnitude tremor around Campi Flegrei near Naples Homes were evacuated and many people slept in their cars or on the street after the strongest earthquake in 40 years shook the area around the sprawling Campi Flegrei supervolcano close to Naples was followed by 150 quakes that were also strongly felt in Naples Local media reports said cracks had formed in buildings and chunks of masonry had collapsed Schools were closed on Tuesday in Pozzuoli and a cluster of towns and districts of Naples “We left our home at midnight and went to our son’s in Vomero [Naples],” Mimmo Pignatelli a town adjacent to one of Campi Flegrei’s 24 ancient volcanic craters “We are used to the quakes – but this one was very frightening as it was the strongest in 40 years We could feel the ground move as we walked.” with the frequency and strength of the quakes increasing as the caldera This causes the ground to rise and the volcano’s crust to stretch “The earth is continuing to rise at a rate of 2cm a month and unfortunately it seems to be continuing at this rate,” Mauro Di Vito the director of the Vesuvius Observatory for Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) “We expect similar earthquakes … I cannot make predictions but we can expect the swarm to continue.” The Italian government has devised a mass evacuation plan The 7-mile Campi Flegrei caldera is a much larger volcano than the nearby which destroyed the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in AD79 The last time Campi Flegrei had a comparable burst of earthquakes was in the early 1980s led a study that described the caldera as edging towards “breaking point” He said: “When there was a crisis 40 years ago but it’s not clear yet whether what’s happening today is completely analogous can we see an evolution in the behaviour of the fracture … is there any evidence of smaller fractures growing into bigger ones?” Campi Flegrei was formed 39,000 years ago after an eruption emptied it of magma An innovative program sees prison inmates giving tours of this Italian city’s Roman archaeology But the port city—a 30-minute train ride west of Naples—is one of southern Italy’s oldest settlements. Modern Pozzuoli—where Sophia Loren grew up—blends with the Roman settlement Puteoli at every turn The road into town wheels around the amphitheater the Rione Terra neighborhood has Roman streets still paving the clifftop and stray cats inhabit an ancient necropolis Pozzuoli has launched an innovative new tourism initiative: a collaboration between the local Catholic church and local jails It has reopened one of the most fascinating sites in the southern Campania region—thanks to the inmates After a fire destroyed much of the site in 1964 and seismic activity saw the entire cliffside abandoned six years later fusing old and new religions into a ravishingly syncretic Here’s how the project is injecting new life into this storied town The Puteoli Sacra initiative started in 2021 as a way to combine art Inmates from Pozzuoli’s female jail and a nearby juvenile detention facility staff the complex in some cases leading tours around the church giving way to a baroque apse stuffed with artworks by Neapolitan artists such as Massimo Stanzione Her three paintings are currently on display in the adjoining museum (there are life-size reproductions in the church) where you can see her brushwork up close and learn about the site’s boundary-pushing past—and present (Discover why painter Artemisia Gentileschi shocked the world.) The initial phase of the project—concluding in 2024—budgeted for 10 recruits over three years gaining skills they’ll take with them to other jobs when they leave prison coordinator of the Puteoli Sacra educational center These people include 25-year-old Sara (no last name for privacy) and heritage sciences with University of Naples Ferdinando II university—and she paints “I always hated art,” she says. “But then in prison I was bored, I felt closed in, and I started to paint. I realized I liked history, so I changed my studies—and when Gennaro Pagano [director of the Centro Educativo Diocesano Regina Pacis foundation the diocese charity which runs the program] told us about the project take a tour with Sara and you won’t just learn about the history of the site; you’ll see it from her perspective she wasn’t considered an artist initially,” Sara says when they come out.” Sara says her guiding work and Artemisia give her “a vision of the future” for when she someday leaves prison An aerial view of Pozzuoli shows the Solfatara volcano in the Bay of Naples Guardian/eyevine/ReduxThe city rebuildsPozzuoli is part of Campi Flegrei an area built over an active “supervolcano.” The town’s entire cliffside district and damaged further by a major earthquake in 1980 the Campania region announced a competition to rebuild the cathedral by Milanese architect Marco Dezzi Bardeschi wrapped walls of glass around the Roman columns and recreated the original vaulted ceiling while sloping the floor down towards what remained of the baroque church—creating a meditative stroll through time and religion (Learn why this volcano in the Bay of Naples is convulsing.) the city started offering tours of Rione Terra whose still visible Roman streets make it an open-air museum “It’s a cradle of ancient civilizations and of their mythology,” says Anna Grossi, a guide at the Tempio-Duomo and mentor to younger people like Sara. “And it has everything: beauty, art, history, good food and a warm welcome. 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The ground rises and falls in a process known as "bradyseism," which causes the earth to shake – or dance You have 83.39% of this article left to read Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe. 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Condividi sui social network Social sharing is not available for non agreement to use of third-party cookiesnews13 novembre 2024Exe Flegrei 2024: concluding debriefing in PozzuoliThe interaction between the structures involved in the exercise aims to improve national planning One month after the conclusion of Exe Flegrei 2024 a debriefing occurred today at the Pozzuoli Air Force Academy regarding the national volcanic risk exercise held in the Phlegraean Fields This exercise took place from October 9 to 12 in Campania The day aimed to analyze the activities conducted by the various components and operational structures involved in the initiative and gather useful information to enhance civil protection planning the strengths and weaknesses of certain sector plans were highlighted emphasized the significance of these gatherings "The interaction among the structures involved in Exe Flegrei 2024 and the sharing of experiences are essential components of the exercise phase." "Our system grows and improves every day and moments like these contribute to that progress." He continued by thanking the Pozzuoli Air Force Academy for hosting the event as well as the Civil Protection of the Campania Region all municipal administrations in the Phlegraean area the operational structures—including the scientific community and volunteer organizations—and all members of the National Civil Protection Service." Ciciliano emphasized that "the collaborative efforts to test procedures and raise awareness among citizens mark a significant step in promoting a culture of civil protection not just in the Phlegraean Fields but across the entire country." He expressed hope that this journey of awareness continues in daily life with initiatives that foster ongoing dialogue between citizens and local institutions he stressed the importance of strengthening the dissemination of these topics in schools to cultivate a culture of prevention among the younger generation a video created by the Department was shown to illustrate the complexity of a national exercise like Exe Flegrei 2024 This exercise involved over 700 civil protection operators more than sixty different entities and administrations and the participation of more than 1,500 citizens The video highlights the exercise's key aspects: communication initiatives for citizen involvement the activation of territorial coordination centers testing of the IT-alert public warning system including the plan for population evacuation Write to Contact Center protezionecivile@pec.governo.it The Campania Region and the government have allocated 54 million euros for the Terra district to finance expropriations and building interventions on the ancient fortress 50 million were approved by Cipess (the Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development) to complete the recovery works and 4 million were paid by the commissioner structure (law 80/84) to the Municipality to finance the procedures expropriations and as a down payment on sums already advanced by the Authority: an important credit boasted by the Municipality of Pozzuoli and never requested despite the adoption of two resolutions recognizing off-balance sheet debts for around two million as requested by the Municipality to speed up completion the building renovation and the external parts while the finishes will be carried out by future concessionaires is overcoming the numerous discrepancies that emerged in the past – said the mayor of Pozzuoli Gigi Manzoni - preparatory to any possible valorization activity of the completed properties The thousandth tables have been drawn up and the process has been started to guarantee the water and electricity supply to each individual activity At the same time we worked to reach the signing of the institutional agreement which regulates the relationships between the institutional subjects interested in the management and valorisation of the Rione Terra" “The takeover of the Campi Flegrei Archaeological Park in the management of the archaeological route – continued the mayor – has slowed down the signing of the agreement already shared by the Region We are only awaiting feedback from the Ministry of Culture regarding the indication of the person responsible for signing the agreement foreseen by the 2002 Program Procedural Agreement and never previously signed in order to be able to correctly start the procedures for the assignment of the assets already delivered to the Institution improperly attributed to the current administration are exclusively due to overcoming critical issues inherited from the past" Navy base in Italy is considering easing access to a recreational park after an approved visit by a local international school was abruptly canceled when students with Chinese citizenship were barred from entry Naval Support Activity Naples officials are discussing whether some rules related to the accessing of base facilities should uniformly apply to its 93-acre recreation and lodging park Those talks include evaluating whether requirements such as heightened scrutiny of Designated Third Country Nationals Carney Park “to facilitate more engagements with our local community,” said Milam who added that the safety and security of everyone using the park would remain the top priority Carney Park is situated in the crater of an extinct volcano in the town of Pozzuoli about 14 miles from NSA Naples’ administrative site near the Naples International Airport The base’s response comes after the Chinese students were denied access May 23 as part of a group of 600 children teachers and parents visiting from the International School of Naples for Sports Day Security officials at the park reviewed the school’s paperwork and discovered that the Chinese students’ names were missing from an approved access letter which had not been properly routed and was missing specific DTCN paperwork It wasn’t clear by Monday when the names of the Chinese students were separated and who made the decision to do so It also wasn’t certain when the school submitted the names of all students attending the event to Morale But the oversight resulted from a lack of “coordination and communication” by the base “NSA Naples deeply regrets the administrative error that prevented students with Chinese citizenship from engaging in their school-sponsored activity at Carney Park,” the Navy statement said “The base is actively engaged with The International School of Naples to prevent future issues.” Milam said the base also was working to ensure that all commands and staffers were informed about access rules Citizens of at least 12 countries — including Belarus Russia and Venezuela — are allowed access to bases ships and other facilities within the Navy Region Europe Central area of responsibility only after a heightened review process which includes approval of a base commanding officer Paperwork for them must be submitted at least two weeks before a visit The requirements apply to everyone with the designation including students participating in high school sports Similar policies exist at other installations Army Garrison Italy did not answer Stars and Stripes’ questions about their policies related to DTCN students participating in school events Aviano Air Base collects personal information The details are sent to a security office in Rome and background checks are carried out by the respective embassies the visitor is granted access for a base tour or other activity At least two international schools in Rome regularly participate in sports alongside Defense Department students in Italy ISN principal Debbie Kiley said the school made the decision to cancel the event for all students after arriving at the park and learning that only pupils who are Chinese citizens were barred entry ISN held a smaller event at the school and promised that entry fees and other costs associated with the Carney Park activity would be refunded had complained to the base and received a response calling the situation on May 23 regrettable and not an attempt to be exclusionary The result was a teaching moment for students “It reinforced that as an international school but we remain … committed … to core values of being safe “These values will guide us in building a more peaceful and inclusive global community.” Comments are automatically closed one year after article publication figure out how to drill into the caldera and drain this thing the world will not Napoli to kick around any more Agostino Petroni has done a nice job of capturing the dilemmas faced by residents and public officials in and around the Phlegraean Fields An underlying issue is that volcanologists have too few examples of these caldera-forming eruptions from which to draw firm conclusions Helens (a different kind of better-studied volcano) had erupted explosively in the U.S several of these calderas showed similar uplifts gas emissions and seismicity to what’s described here for Pozzuoli Rabaul in Papua New Guinea did eventually erupt but Long Valley in California and Yellowstone in Wyoming quietly subsided This kind of “volcano breathing” is frustratingly inconclusive Scientists like those interviewed for this article risk their lives to try to fill the gaps but the reality is that government officials in Italy face a daunting challenge deciding when to call for an evacuation This situation is further compounded by populist politics in Italy and the US that has increased public distrust of scientists the speed-up of climate change means that future volcanic eruptions are likely to coincide with other hazards Italy’s jailing of seismologists for incorrect forecasts further hamstrings future responses What we need are efforts to increase public understanding through articles like this and ratcheting down of anti-scientific rhetoric Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Visual: Salvatore Laporta/Kontrolab/LightRocket via Getty Images collects a water sample from a bubbling pond in Pozzuoli Such samples contain information about what is happening in the volcano below Scientists today are worried about the consequences of another eruption now that around half a million people have built their homes and roads just above this unstable terrain the chances are we’re getting closer to the possibility of breaking the crust,” Kilburn told Undark “We have bradyseism in our blood,” said Giuseppe Minieri Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" and a 2021 Pulitzer Center Reporting Fellow Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Seismic events recorded between 00:00 CET May 20 The event of greatest magnitude (4.4) was recorded at 20:10 on May 20 Europe's awakening Campi Flegrei volcano experienced its biggest seismic swarm in 40 years with 150 earthquakes rocking the region in southern Italy in the evening of May 20 A wave of 150 earthquakes rocked the Campi Flegrei volcano near Naples last week — the biggest swarm in four decades sparking panic among residents in nearby towns "This is the most powerful seismic swarm in the last 40 years," Mauro Antonio Di Vito a volcanologist and director of Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) Vesuvius Observatory then subsided again as the volcano ejected its stores of magma Related: Iceland volcano eruption throws spectacular 160-foot-high wall of lava toward Grindavík The ground beneath Pozzuoli, a town located near the center of the caldera, has been rising for the past 20 years, Christopher Kilburn a professor of volcanology and geophysical hazards at University College London in the U.K. told Live Science in an interview in December 2023 Irregular patterns of seismicity started to pick up about 10 years ago and have been increasing ever since Similar patterns of swelling and seismic activity the ground in the Campi Flegrei area rose at a rate of 3.5 inches (9 centimeters) per month triggering more than 1,300 earthquakes per month which the population could feel and raised the alarm," Kilburn said The ground did not subside back to pre-crisis levels in the 1970s and 1980s meaning every bit of uplift stretches Earth's crust further "Each crisis starts where the previous one finished," Kilburn said.  Temperatures and flows of carbon dioxide measured at the surface of Campi Flegrei also show no significant changes compared with recent months —Were Neanderthals really killed off by Campi Flegrei, Europe's awakening 'supervolcano'? —What is a supervolcano? The answer isn't so simple.  The reason for the swelling remains unclear "There is some debate about whether that's really accumulation of gas or the hydrothermal system is being disturbed," Kilburn said said the situation was "under control" and there was "no risk of eruption," Al Jazeera reported Experts told the news channel that the volcano is unlikely to erupt any time soon Sascha PareSocial Links NavigationStaff writer Sascha is a U.K.-based staff writer at Live Science She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Southampton in England and a master’s degree in science communication from Imperial College London Her work has appeared in The Guardian and the health website Zoe bread-making and browsing second-hand shops for hidden gems Heavy dusting of 'pineapple powder' paints Hawaii's volcanoes white after near-record snowfall — Earth from space Mystery of Bolivian 'zombie' volcano finally solved 9:51 PM | Updated: Jan 27 BY EMILY ASHMEAD “This individual goes above and beyond to mentor his science students both present and former honesty and encourages everyone he contacts to do their best His dedication to his family is beyond reproach His tireless devotion to his father is truly commendable He is always there to take care of his dad’s medical needs.” Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here A BRITISH woman has died after her car crashed Police spotted the vehicle in the water half-hidden among vegetation during a routine patrol and raised the alarm in Caserta, southern Italy Firefighters used ladders to reach the car and open it using specialist equipment before discovering the body of the 44-year-old victim inside the woman was sadly pronounced dead at the scene and her body was transported to the nearby Institute for Forensic Medicine for an autopsy Local media reported that CCTV footage of the accident obtained by police showed the unnamed woman crashing after hitting a pothole on a wet road Her Fiat Punto is understood to have flipped over before entering the canal water The scene of the accident is near the commune of Villa Literno 15 miles northwest of the southern Italian city Naples The Brit is understood to have lived in Pozzuoli but the purpose of her trip is not yet known Her car was winched out of the water using a crane after her body had been extracted Another British woman was left fighting for her life after a road crash in Albania at the end of last month was travelling to celebrate her sister's birthday bash on November 22 when the horror crash happened near the village of Belsh The North London girl was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries and put into a medically-induced coma Pamela's friends and family set up a GoFundMe page in a desperate attempt to raise money to fly her home to the UK for urgent medical treatment The fundraiser plea said: "On November 22 and strong Pamela Mema got into a car accident in the village of Belsh on the way to celebrate her sister's 24th birthday "Since the 22nd Pamela has been fighting for her life In the hospitals of Albania "We now urgently have to bring Pamela back home to London so she can get the best medical care she needs with the doctors we trust and put our confidence in with an Air Ambulance "Pamela is only 18 with her whole life ahead of her and any donations are hugely appreciated to bring our Pam home and for her to get the best care possible." the fundraise had gathered more than £75,000 - with a stated goal of £100,000 In a separate incident, a British dad and his two sons were injured in a fatal head-on car crash in Menorca The trio were travelling in a taxi which smashed into a rental car carrying a female passenger who sadly died suffered serious head injuries and was stabilised at the scene before being transferred to the Spanish holiday island’s Mateu Orfila Hospital He was treated intensive care unit but was understood to be in stable condition soon after the incident A 24-year-old described as his brother was also seriously hurt suffering multiple injuries including a broken leg and the taxi driver were also hurt but not seriously Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ a charming Italian town in the Metropolitan City of Naples has a deep-rooted history dating back to its establishment as the Greek colony of Dicaearchia in 531 BC leaving an enduring cultural and architectural legacy including the impressive Flavian Amphitheatre a testament to its vibrant ancient marketplaces and trade Pozzuoli's significance goes beyond history with a notable 4.2 magnitude quake on September 27--the most powerful in over four decades Experts fear a looming "seismic crisis," the first since the early 1980s While the major tremor didn't cause significant damage Conversations in stores and cafes have shifted from football and politics to the palpable fear stemming from a supervolcano triggering a series of earthquakes Scardi is worried even about the small quakes that keep them on edge Meanwhile, Vincenzo Russo is torn; he wants to stay but his wife and children are house-hunting in Castel Volturno In Pozzuoli, frequent earthquakes have raised the seabed, limiting access to the historic port for only the smallest boats. Averna, a local fisherman, laments the loss of diving spots for kids now reduced to a patch of dirt and weeds by the shore Pozzuoli faces imminent danger due to its location atop the slumbering supervolcano This volcanic area, dotted with craters and calderas, hosts geothermal features like fumaroles, hot springs, and mud pools. The persistent tremors stem from underground magma and fluid movements inducing pressure and stress on surface rocks and posing risks like landslides and tsunamis perilously close to densely populated regions is among the world's most hazardous volcanoes Pozzuoli is located close to the famous Pompeii in Italy. Nearby Pompeii's fate serves as a stark reminder, buried beneath ash in 79 A.D Scientists vigilantly monitor Campi Flegrei Their efforts aid in understanding the volcanic system's dynamics and collaborating with authorities and communities to prepare for emergencies including mass evacuations and humanitarian crises © 2025 NatureWorldNews.com All rights reserved better known as ‘Mav’ to his family and friends Robert served as a volunteer firefighter for many years with the Smithfield Fire Department and helped coach his niece’s T-ball team Robert was often cheering on the Cleveland Browns or Indians and collecting baseball and football cards Mav had a ready smile and was always willing to offer a helping hand to a friend or family member in need He chose to give the gift of life through organ donation Robert was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother Mary (Agresta) Tripodi and uncle Louis Tripodi Mary (Tripodi) Pozzuoli of Smithfield; daughter Avellina Pozzuoli of Smithfield; brother Joseph (Katie) Pozzuoli of Zanesville OH; sister Joyce (Dan) Flaherty of Smithfield; fiancee Crystal Shaughnessy and her children Nicholas Grim and Autumn Shaughnessy all of Smithfield; four nieces Gianna and Mara Pozzuoli and nephew Judah Pozzuoli A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date Robert’s arrangements are in the care of the J.E Today's breaking news and more in your inbox Copyright © 2025 Ogden News Publishing of Ohio | https://www.heraldstaronline.com | 401 Herald Square The Phlegraean Fields (also known in Italian as ‘Campi Flegrei’) is an active volcanic area located in the vicinity of Naples, Italy. Unlike the nearby Mount Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei is not characterised by a single volcano with several centres situated within a depressed area called a caldera (essentially a deep sinkhole or cauldron) Campi Flegrei is surrounded by suburbs and densely populated areas close to the city of Pozzuoli but in September 2023 – that started to change Earthquakes started to be felt at Campi Flegrei in September 2023. Since then, over 1,100 have been recorded – some as powerful as 4.2 on the Richter scale. This has led to a change in the height of the surface of the land. It's a process known as 'bradyseism' The area has been affected by this phenomenon before Bradyseism can cause a raising or lowering of the land surface as magma chambers – buried between three and four kilometres deep – fill or empty, in a cycle of uplift and subsidence. It is this process that causes the earthquakes that residents here have been feeling regarding it as the ‘breathing of the volcano’ that sleeps beneath them volcanologists have been studying the caldera to predict what might happen in the future to avert any potential disasters Fumaroles, such as the Pisciarelli Fumarole are vents in the Earth's surface that emit steam and hot volcanic gases like sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide or in areas where magma has risen into the Earth's crust without erupting The Temple of Serapis in Pozzuoli (which wasn't a temple but a market building) is considered the iconic monument of the Campi Flegrei area It's become a symbol of volcanic bradyseism in the region Due to the rising or lowering of the ground underneath it's sometimes completely dry and at other times semi-submerged in seawater The study of bradyseism over the past few centuries has been possible thanks to observations such as those made on the ruins of this Roman-era building by studying holes made in the ancient columns by marine molluscs over centuries scientists can study changing sea levels at this site The entire Campi Felgrei area has been subject to continuous monitoring for years by organisations such as the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (IGNV) they can provide projections of future activity and possible dangers to nearby residents To get a better understanding of volcanic activity in the Campi Flegrei region, volcanologists from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology use drones They're equipped with thermal monitoring devices to study surface temperatures around the fumaroles These operations are conducted exclusively at night Doing so prevents solar radiation from altering measurements of the surface temperature of the Earth's crust The risk to residents nearby from deadly pyroclastic flows is potentially quite high making monitoring the situation vitally important During the last bradyseism crisis here in 1983 over 30,000 people needed to be evacuated from the Campi Flegrei region The Vesuvian Observatory is the oldest volcanic observatory in the world and was founded in 1841 to observe volcanic activity in the Naples area or 'New Mountain' is an active cinder cone volcano It's located between the bay of Naples and the centre of the city of Pozzuoli It was formed in 1538 and is one of the first volcanic eruptions to be witnessed and recorded by many people the volcano destroyed the ancient Tripergole village including thermal baths and grand Roman villas Scientists believe that any future eruption from this region will result in damaging and unpredictable pyroclastic flows putting the lives of up to 500,000 residents in the area at risk The Solfatara Crater is one of the forty volcanic sites that make up the Campi Flegrei volcanic system Most of these sites are located underwater in the Bay of Naples Solfatara is located about three kilometres from the centre of the city of Pozzuoli It used to be a popular tourist destination thanks to steam and sulphur emitted from the crater and has been used medicinally since Roman times it's been closed off from visitors since 2019 due to safety concerns with two-year spikes of unrest in the 1950s and a slower phase of unrest over the last decade Tens of thousands of small earthquakes have occurred during these periods and the coastal town of Pozzuoli has been lifted by nearly 4 m (13 ft) published in Nature’s Communications Earth & Environment journal to interpret the patterns of earthquakes and ground uplift and concluded that parts of the volcano had been stretched nearly to breaking point Lead author Professor Christopher Kilburn (UCL Earth Sciences) said: “Our new study confirms that Campi Flegrei is moving closer to rupture this does not mean an eruption is guaranteed The rupture may open a crack through the crust but the magma still needs to be pushing up at the right location for an eruption to occur “This is the first time we have applied our model which is based on the physics of how rocks break “Our first use of the model was in 2017 and since then Campi Flegrei has behaved as we predicted with an increasing number of small earthquakes indicating pressure from below “We will now have to adjust our procedures for estimating the chances of new routes being opened for magma or gas to reach the surface “The study is the first of its kind to forecast rupture at an active volcano It marks a step change in our goal to improve forecasts of eruptions worldwide.” Dr Nicola Alessandro Pino from the Vesuvius Observatory said: “Our results show that parts of the volcano are becoming weaker This means that it might break even though the stresses pulling it apart are smaller than they were during the last crisis 40 years ago.” Campi Flegrei is the closest active volcano to London instead of growing into a traditional mountain it has the shape of a gentle depression 12-14 km (7.5-8.5 miles) across (and thus is known as a caldera) This explains why 360,000 people now live on its roof the ground below Pozzuoli has been creeping upwards at about 10 cm (4 in) a year Persistent small earthquakes have also been registered for the first time since the mid-1980s The disturbance has been caused by the movement of fluids about 3 km (2 miles) beneath the surface The latest phase of unrest appears likely to be caused by magmatic gas that is seeping into gaps in the rock filling the 3 km-thick crust like a sponge The earthquakes occur when faults (cracks) slip due to the stretching of the crust The pattern of earthquakes from 2020 suggests the rock is responding in an inelastic way Dr Stefania Danesi from INGV Bologna said: “We cannot see what is happening underground Instead we have to decipher the clues the volcano gives us such as earthquakes and uplift of the ground.”   the team explained that the effect of the unrest since the 1950s is cumulative meaning an eventual eruption could be preceded by relatively weak signals such as a smaller rate of ground uplift and fewer earthquakes This was the case for the eruption of the Rabaul caldera in Papua New Guinea in 1994 which was preceded by small earthquakes occurring at a tenth of the rate than had occurred during a crisis a decade earlier Campi Flegrei’s current tensile strength (the maximum stress a material can bear before breaking when it is stretched) is likely to be about a third of what it was in 1984 The team emphasised that an eruption was not inevitable Dr Stefano Carlino from the Vesuvius Observatory explained: “It’s the same for all volcanoes that have been quiet for generations Campi Flegrei may settle into a new routine of gently rising and subsiding as seen at similar volcanoes around the world We can’t yet say for sure what will happen The important point is to be prepared for all outcomes.”     Professor Kilburn and colleagues will now apply the UCL model of volcano fracturing to other volcanoes that have reawakened after a long period of time seeking to establish more reliable criteria for deciding if an eruption is likely eruptions are forecast using statistical data unique to each volcano rather than drawing on fundamental principles that can be applied to multiple volcanoes looks like a typical picturesque Italian village ready to be taken by storm by hordes of tourists or “Earth quarter,” it’s perched on a tuff promontory overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea Pastel-colored buildings dating back to the 1600s flank the narrow with their sunglow yellow and English red coming alight under the Mediterranean sun The cathedral has been recently renovated to display the remains of the Roman temple of Augustus that stood in its place centuries ago The buildings’ balconies offer views stretching far out over the blue sea But except for lone renovation workers or the occasional bewildered muttering words like “Is it open?” or “What a shame,” Rione Terra is largely lifeless and yet not a soul has lived here in decades The windows of the inviting façades are coated with dust Seagulls are often the only users left for the deckchairs lined on terraces that were once teeming with people The abandonment of Rione Terra dates back decades ago when a surprising sequence of events scarred Pozzuoli and its population Many residents still haven’t gotten over the incidents claiming the mass eviction shouldn’t have happened and describing the details in conspiratorial terms we still wonder what the real reasons were,” says Antonio Isabettini a painter who grew up just outside the neighborhood Rione Terra and Pozzuoli sit atop Phlegraean Fields a complex of two dozen craters often referred to as Europe’s most dangerous active volcanic area Pozzuoli doesn’t look like a town overlooking a volcano—it’s right by the sea and surrounded by verdant hills—because Phlegrean Fields is a caldera a depression born when a volcano’s magma chambers empty and the roof collapses Phlegrean Fields has been active for 80,000 years One of its violent eruptions 39,000 years ago is believed to have sent ash as far away as Russia caused a volcanic winter in the surroundings and abruptly cooled the climate across the world The caldera is home to a peculiar geological phenomenon known as bradyseism. The ascent of magmatic fluids causes the ground in Pozzuoli to bulge and deflate over years, as if something simmers underneath. The hot fluids seep underground making subterranean rocks swell and fracture the process can generate hundreds of low-intensity earthquakes which are preceded by “a rumble coming from the bowels of the earth,” as Giuseppe Ioffredo a naturalist guide and freelance journalist born in Rione Terra “It’s like something is coming at you.” This is somewhat reflected in Ioffredo’s own life: Phlegrean Fields employed him for 30 years—he worked at one of the craters Solfatara—but lost his job after three tourists lost their lives and the crater was closed to the public Rione Terra was one of the poorest parts of Pozzuoli when Ioffredo was born About half of the homes were grottoes or basement flats and half of the residents slept in beds with up to four family members The area was more densely populated than the world’s current most-densely-populated city the population was crammed into low-rise buildings and tiny alleys Phlegrean Fields erupted in 1538 and had been dormant for centuries—until 1970. Oral accounts of the events say fishermen noticed that the ground had risen because they struggled to reach their boats from the land, some pipes had broken, and there had been sporadic fish die-offs But there was no scientific monitoring of the events who at the time was a volcanology researcher with the Vesuvian Observatory That’s largely because there were no instruments nor tools in the area “Phlegrean Fields was considered on its path to extinction,” he said “The scientific community was taken by surprise.” Luongo remembers scientists thought an eruption was imminent and authorities decided to evacuate the most at-risk area: Rione Terra army trucks encircled the neighborhood; soldiers and police officers went door to door to drive residents away sometimes against their wills and carrying few belongings Then they walled up the entrances to Rione Terra The municipality of Pozzuoli took ownership of all buildings Conspiracy theories slowly replaced panic among former residents Some rumored they had been dispossessed to give way to building speculation Others lamented that the bishop had been allowed to stay Graffiti appeared on one of Rione Terra’s walls accusing: “Our overlords want to demolish Rione Terra to enjoy this paradise.” About a hundred families tore down the walled entrances and squatted part of the area during what scientists refer to as an “aborted eruption,” in which magma ascended close to the surface but lacked the power to break through the crust Phlegrean Fields gave some the strongest seismic activity of recent memory A 4.0-magnitude earthquake damaged some of Pozzuoli’s oldest buildings the town was struck by at least 500 earthquakes Some 40,000 people fled during the crisis, and authorities set out to lower the population density of coastal Pozzuoli. Thousands were relocated to a newly built neighborhood in the surrounding hills density containment plans were watered down and others were allowed to settle back in coastal Pozzuoli—but not Rione Terra who had become the director of the Vesuvian Observatory by then says this was “a mistake.” The area remained uninhabited due to seismic and volcanic risks while the adjacent settlements once again became densely populated.Rione Terra fell into disrepair and remained inaccessible for decades as authorities pondered what Rione Terra would become Antonio Isabettini is a painter who grew up just outside Rione Terra and started painting it daily to preserve its memory after 1970 Going there became dangerous because of stray dogs and unsafe terraces hanging over the cliffs.” then the arrest of a mayor on corruption charges for his management of Rione Terra’s renovation Then Phlegrean Fields reawakened again in fall of 2023 Pozzuoli was struck by the most intense seismic activities and fastest uplifting in four decades with some 2,000 tremors shaking the area in September and October alone The renovation of part of the area is not over yet, and Manzoni says it could reopen to the first visitors in about a year. Unless, that is, Europe’s most dangerous active volcano gets in the way. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world’s hidden wonders. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. A Huge Italian Volcano Could Be Ready to Erupt Italy’s Campi Flegrei volcano has caused thousands of recent earthquakes and pushed up the ground By Alessio Perrone edited by Mark Fischetti Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images On the night of October 2 a worrisome earthquake shook the towns above Campi Flegrei long-dormant volcano immediately west of Naples whipping local media and authorities into a frenzy Journalists speculated that lava might start flowing from the volcano threatening the 1.3 million people who live in high-risk areas near its center Vulcanologists called for existing evacuation plans which assume that an eruption can be predicted 72 hours in advance to be updated to include the possibility of having to evacuate all those people after an eruption has already begun prompting media to again speculate about the likelihood of magma rising to the surface and the hundreds more since then have capped the most intense period of seismic activity that Campi Flegrei has exhibited in decades more than 2,000 low-magnitude tremors were recorded in the region Monitoring systems showed that the ground in some places had risen by 1.17 meters since 2005 and two thirds of that had happened since 2016 If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today Toba in Indonesia and the Altiplano-Puna volcanic complex in Argentina One model—let’s call it the shallow magma model—posits that the seismicity and bulging are caused by magma pushing to break through the surface with violent magma outflow highly likely in the near term steam and hot gases released by magma located deeper underground are to blame the ongoing seismic activity could stop abruptly or peak in a phreatic eruption—the volcano would spurt out hot liquids although it would still be a lethal one because so many people live close by “Everyone agrees that magma is involved,” says Roberto Moretti an associate professor of geochemistry and volcanology at the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Italy and a proponent of the hot fluids model since 2013 But scientists disagree on what role magma plays exactly and consequently how close it is to the surface “Hence the big question,” Moretti says comprises two dozen craters and other structures in an area 14 kilometers across One third of it lies under the Tyrrhenian Sea between the Italian mainland and the country’s island of Sardinia The volcano has been active for at least 80,000 years Its caldera—the depression created when emptying magma chambers cause the roof of a volcano to collapse—formed after two violent eruptions 39,000 and 15,000 years ago The older one caused a volcanic winter in areas within 100 km sent ash as far away as Russia and abruptly cooled the climate around the world After its most recent eruption in 1538 the volcano went quiet “any previous connection between the molten rock underground and the surface has been sealed up,” says Christopher Kilburn a volcanology and geophysical hazards professor at University College London and Kilburn says that before another eruption can take place creating a new pathway for lava or fluids to breach Scientists think that has been happening since Campi Flegrei awakened in the 1950s paired with the slow flexing—uplift and sinking—of the ground Scientists say pressure from below the top part of Earth’s crust pushes against it at a depth of two to three km creating superficial earthquakes and the surface bulge Between 1982 and 1984 the ground rose 1.8 meters and some 30,000 people were evacuated in what many scientists consider an aborted eruption—magma is thought to have ascended close to the surface The ground began deflating again until 2004 According to a 2023 paper co-authored by Kilburn in Communications Earth & Environment each uplift episode stretches the crust further creating conditions more favorable to a rupture and opening a pathway for an eruption rising magma is piling pressure on the crust which happened when the ground rose in the 1980s which has gained more traction since seismicity picked up in the area in 2016 but it is sending larger and larger quantities of steam and hot gases toward the surface Finding definitive evidence for either model remains elusive. Geophysicists lack direct access to the complex underground phenomena that they study. Instead they analyze the indirect signals of those processes that reach the surface, such as seismicity, ground uplift and gases emitted by vents called fumaroles “That’s not unique to Campi Flegrei,” Kilburn says we all have to use a little bit of imagination to work out what the signals mean.” Moretti likens the efforts of volcanologists to those of the physicians of the past who tried to discern human diseases only from a person’s symptoms without having detailed knowledge of internal bodily processes note that the uplift has so far been slower than in 1982–1984 when it was likely caused by magma rising at shallow depth which hasn’t really been seen in the current circumstances The hot fluids model would be consistent with the large quantities of carbon dioxide measured at fumaroles and the shape of the ground’s bulge The one investigation scientists could conduct is to drill “Boreholes are the most efficient and direct way to study geology and volcanoes,” says Giuseppe De Natale research director at Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology who agreed to speak to Scientific American as an individual researcher De Natale led efforts to drill a 500-meter pilot borehole in 2012 that provided scientists with more precise stratigraphical information about the origins and boundaries of the caldera But he says that local politicians and media began to “wage war” on the project by describing it as dangerous It’s unclear whether support for new boreholes has increased now that the threat seems greater De Natale says news of new drilling would likely cause a similar reaction so right now drilling initiatives have been shelved A 3.5-km borehole would take about a month to drill It would have a diameter between 30 and 35 centimeters close to the surface and 10 to 12 cm at deeper levels One such borehole would inevitably pierce Earth’s crust but De Natale says that would pose few risks to local residents because modern boreholes are equipped with blowout preventers—mechanical devices also used in oil wells that monitor and seal the boreholes when pressure exceeds a certain threshold Moretti says drilling could generate seismicity acidic fluids could spurt out—as they do in geysers Boreholes would allow scientists to study deep geochemical compounds boreholes would help researchers understand how much more the crust can stretch “We know that the ground rose four meters since 1950 and 1.17 meters since 2005—but we don’t know how much more pressure the rocks can bear,” De Natale says or it could be close to the critical point of an imminent eruption Kilburn says the differences among scientists could sound like nitpicking to people on the caldera Yet De Natale says stronger earthquakes could also mean that fractures are taking place underground A similar trend appears to have occurred at the end of October when the number of tremors under Campi Flegrei decreased But De Natale says the trend might be short-lived: “Fractures heal over time pressure begins building again,” he says when seismicity appeared to drop only to pick up after a year “It seemed as if it were all over,” De Natale adds Alessio Perrone is a freelance journalist based in Milan, Italy, whose writing has also appeared in the Guardian, Wired and Slate. You can find him at alessioperrone.com Subscribe to Scientific American to learn and share the most exciting discoveries innovations and ideas shaping our world today Scientific American is part of Springer Nature which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at www.springernature.com/us) Scientific American maintains a strict policy of editorial independence in reporting developments in science to our readers On the night of October 2 a worrisome earthquake shook the towns above Campi Flegrei Alessio Perrone is a freelance journalist based in Milan, Italy, whose writing has also appeared in the Guardian, Wired and Slate. You can find him at alessioperrone.com Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images a constellation of ancient craters in the south of Italy Visitors to Francesco Cammarota’s home have envied the views from his balcony where the Mediterranean Sea laps the distant islands of Procida and Ischia a shallow volcanic crater whose sulphurous vapours are known for their therapeutic benefits who has lived in the apartment for more than 30 years the view is a constant reminder of the menace bubbling beneath the surface a constellation of ancient volcanic craters near the southern Italian city of Naples parts of which were described in a study this month as edging towards “breaking point” View image in fullscreenFrancesco Cammarota with his dog Lucky on the balcony of his house in Pozzuoli Photograph: Roberto Salomone/The GuardianThe sprawling volcanic area home to at least 360,000 people across the seven most at-risk inhabited hubs is not as well known as nearby Mount Vesuvius whose eruption in AD79 wiped out the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum Part of the reason is because you can’t see it: instead of resembling a characteristic cone-shaped volcano which can be translated as “burning fields” formed 39,000 years ago after an eruption emptied it of magma Subsequent eruptions – the last in 1538 – created a series of small hills and craters But looks can be deceiving. Campi Flegrei is much more active than Vesuvius, and is among the most dangerous volcanoes in Europe Thousands of small earthquakes since the 1950s the frequency of which have intensified over the past year have weakened the caldera as the pressure beneath it builds according to the study jointly produced by academics at Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and University College London (UCL) Cammarota is more than familiar with the tremors – one on Wednesday “Some days there are more than one,” he says while looking out towards the Solfatara crater View image in fullscreenThe Temple of Serapide in Pozzuoli Photograph: Roberto Salomone/The GuardianThe crater – closed off to the public since 2017 when an 11-year-old boy and his parents died after slipping into it – sits in the middle of a hamlet made up of a cluster of homes and handful of shops that forms part of Pozzuoli This densely populated port city is among the seven inhabited areas classified by Italy’s civil protection authority as being in the “red zone” who feels so anxious about the volcano that she doesn’t want to talk about it Other residents have an almost fatalistic approach under which people would be moved out within three days is monitored at INGV’s nearby Vesuvius Observatory established after the last time Pozzuoli was evacuated in 1983 the whole area has been gently sinking as the rising magma pushes the ground above it up Pozzuoli has been lifted by almost 4 metres since the 1950s Free daily newsletterOur morning email breaks down the key stories of the day telling you what’s happening and why it matters View image in fullscreenMauro Antonio Di Vito Photograph: Roberto Salomone/The GuardianMauro Antonio Di Vito says the volcano has been in a state of “unrest” for 11 years “The volcano is characterised by seismic activity and the lifting of the ground,” he says “It is obvious that with 600 quakes a month which weakens the structure of the volcano you need another fundamental element – magma – and this is deep.” The recent study found the tremors and ground uplift are cumulative meaning that volcanic activity does not need to intensify for an eruption to become more likely “If the uplift continues as it has been continuing the consequence will be that the crust will eventually have to break somewhere because it can’t stretch forever,” says Christopher Kilburn While the volcano might be approaching a rupture he cautions that this does not mean an eruption will occur adds: “If you look from the sea towards the land there are small hills here and there – those are the sites of eruptions Should there be an eruption in the near future we’re expecting it to be of the size that would create one of those hills We’re not expecting it to be of the size that created the original caldera.” View image in fullscreenSmall hills dot the landscape of Campi Flegrei Photograph: Roberto Salomone/The GuardianDi Vito says the high risk is mostly owing to the density of the population along with the challenges of evacuating residents through narrow as people moved from Naples for the cheaper homes and would not withstand significant seismic activity “These areas have been urbanised without considering the fragility,” says Di Vito adding that there are financial incentives available for residents to adapt their homes “Buildings need to be better structured and we need a cultural change to really encourage people to do this.” Evacuation simulations are a regular occurrence although Cammarota remembers the real one in 1983 “Then nothing happened and we returned home,” he says “If there’s another alert then I will just get in my car and go