Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
nerving and surreal, this steamy crater was called Foro Vulcani (home of the god of fire)
by the Romans. At the far end of the crater you can see the Stufe, two ancient grottos ex-
cavated at the end of the 19th century to create two brick
sudatoria
(sweat rooms).
Christened Purgatory and Hell, they both reach temperatures of up to 90°C.
The crater's acrid steam, bubbling mud and sulphurous water have been lauded for their
curative qualities for thousands of years. If the thought of reaching the crater on foot
sounds like purgatory, catch any city bus heading uphill from Pozzuoli metro station and
ask the driver to let you off at Solfatara.
Tempio di Serapide
(Temple of Serapis; Via Serapide; Cumana to Pozzuoli, Pozzuoli)
Badly damaged
by centuries of seismic bradyseism and occasionally flooded by sea water, this sunken
square just east of the port wasn't a temple at all but rather an ancient
macellum
(town
market). Named after a statue of the Egyptian god Serapis found here in 1750, its ancient
toilets (at either side of the eastern apse) are considered works of historical ingenuity.
RUIN
Mercato del Pesce di Pozzuoli
(Pozzuoli Fish Market; Via Nicola Fasano; 7.30am-1.30pm Tue-Sun; Cumana to
Pozzuoli, Pozzuoli)
Pozzuoli's atmospheric fish market is just the spot for an appet-
ising morning stroll. Good weather brings in the best catches, with local staples including
pesce azzurro (mackeral), pesce bandiera
(sailfish),
seppie
(squid),
polipi
(octopus),
alici
(anchovies) and
gamberoni
(giant prawns). The second of the two aisles is a mouth-water-
ing spectacle of robust salami and
salsiccie
(sausages), plump cheeses, local fruits and ve-
getables, and crunchy
casareccio
(home-style) bread.
Peckish? Stock up for an impromptu picnic on nearby Monte Nuovo (
Click here
)
. The
market is an easy 300m walk northwest of the ancient market ruins of the
Tempio di Ser-
apide
( Via Serapide;
MARKET
Cumana to Pozzuoli, Pozzuoli)
.
Monte Nuovo
Offline map
(New Mountain; 081 804 14 62; Via Virgilio; 9am-1hr before sunset Mon-Sun,
9am-1pm Sun; Cumana to Arco Felice)
At 8pm on 29 September 1538, a crack ap-
peared in the earth near the ancient Roman settlement of Tripergole, violently spewing out
PARK
