Considered one of the symbols that make up the past and present history of Naples, Vesuvius is a volcano located within the Vesuvius National Park and is one of the most fascinating attractions in all of Campania.
Known throughout the world for the eruption of 79 AD, which destroyed numerous cities of the time with a rain of ash and lapilli, including Pompeii and Herculaneum which have now become important archaeological sites, Vesuvius made its last eruption in March of 1944 when it destroyed the towns of Massa di Somma and San Sebastiano and covered many areas of southern Italy with ashes.
“The best seasons to visit the volcano are spring and autumn when the climate is mild and nature offers landscapes of splendid colours.”
The volcano, also known by the name of Somma-Vesuvio, has a height of 1281 meters and looks like a typical "enclosure" volcano since it is located inside a caldera that measures about 4 km in diameter. Originally, in fact, the volcano consisted of Monte Somma which, following a strong explosion, suffered the collapse of the top part of the volcanic structure and saw the formation of a depression called the caldera where, after the resumption of the eruptive activity, it then formed the current structure of Vesuvius. The Vesuvius crater has an elliptical shape and is 230 meters deep with a maximum diameter of approximately 650 meters.