The Vesuvius is the only active volcano in Europe and it is also the undiscussed symbol of Naples and of the whole Campania. Its origin date back to 12 thousands years ago, when the seismic activity of the crust of the earth changed a previous volcano in the one that later became the vesuvius.

Historically the Vesuvius starts its activity in 63 a.D. and in 79 a.D. there was the catastrophical eruption that buried Pompei and Ercolano and a devastating earthquake shocked the whole region.

Sixteen years later, another tremendous eruption, described by Pliny the Younger, was again announced by several strong sismical shocks. The incandescent magma and gas opened the underground pipeline and came out as hot mud, lava, stones,lapilli, poison gas and ash, that ripped up a side of the mountain and that caused death and destruction. Scientists say that on that occasion the Vesuvius took the present shape.

The alternate periods of quiet and eruptions lasted till 1906, when the volcano exploded again, modifying its shape one time again. The last destroying eruption was in 1944: on that occasion on the top of the volcano a big crater developed, covered by yellow ash.