Vesuvius is an active volcano 15 km from Naples in the Campania region of southern Italy on the shores of the Gulf of Naples. The height of the volcano is 1281m, the mountain system is the Apennines.
Geographical coordinates: (40 degrees 49 minutes north latitude, 14 degrees 25 minutes east longitude)
It is the only active volcano in continental Europe. There are two options for the origin of the name of the volcano: the first from the Oka fest is smoke, the second from the pra-Indo-European root ves, which means mountain. Vesuvius is recognized as one of the most dangerous volcanoes. At the moment, there is evidence of more than eighty significant eruptions.
- Recommended: excursion to Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius
The death of Pompeii
The biggest happened on August 24, 79, as a result of which the cities of Pompeii, Oplontis, Herculaneum were destroyed.
This eruption was preceded by an earthquake on February 5, 62, which damaged almost all buildings to a varying degree.
The eruption that destroyed Pompeii lasted about a day, during which the city was covered with a multimeter layer of ash.
Volcanic ash on this day reached Syria and Egypt. At the time of the eruption, approximately 20,000 inhabitants lived in the city, most of whom managed to leave Pompeii before the disaster. 2000 people died on the streets and in the buildings of the city, but the remains of the dead are also found outside Pompeii, so the exact number of victims cannot be established.
Vesuvius in the works of artists
The volcanic eruption inspired many painters.
For example, in 1777, the French landscape painter Pierre Jacques Volard painted the painting "Eruption of Vesuvius", and already in 1833 the Russian artist Karl Pavlovich Bryullov painted his masterpiece painting "The Last Day of Pompeii" dedicated to the disaster.
Seismic Activity and Volcano Structure
In 1944, the last eruption of Vesuvius occurred.
Vesuvius is part of the Mediterranean mobile belt, which extends over 15,000 km from Indonesia to Western Europe. This is the only mountain that rises above the plains of Campania. At an altitude of 600 m the western slope of the volcano is a volcanological observatory, which was founded in 1842. Modern researchers have found that under Vesuvius there are several magma chambers. The one that is closer to the surface is at a depth of 3 km, and the deeper - at a depth of 10-15 km. The continental crust under the volcano, according to geodetic studies and drilling, is formed by the thickness of the Triassic dolomites with a thickness of 7 km.
Vesuvius has three nested cones, the oldest of which is preserved only on the eastern and northern slopes. This cone is called Monte Somma. The second cone (directly Mount Vesuvius) is located inside Monte Somme. At the top of Mount Vesuvius there is a crater, inside of which a third temporary cone appears, disappearing during strong eruptions.
The main cone consists of volcanic tuff and interbedded lava strata. The weathering process ensures soil fertility on the slopes. At the foot of the mountain orchards and vineyards are laid out, and pine forests grow up to 800 m.
How to get there
In 1880, a pendulum funicular was built, on which one could get to Vesuvius. The funicular consisted of two large cars, which were driven by a steam engine. The attraction has gained immense popularity, it has become a tourist symbol of the region, in honor of the funicular a song has been composed, known to this day. The eruption of 1944 destroyed the attraction.
In 1953, a chair lift was built on the eastern slope of Vesuvius, which gained popularity among tourists. However, the 1980 earthquake damaged him so much that they decided not to deal with restoration. Today, tourists are provided with an equipped walking trail to visit Vesuvius.
