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{{short description|City and comune of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania}}
{{short description|City and comune of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania}}
{{Moresources|date=February 2023}}

{{Infobox Italian comune
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name = Pozzuoli
| name = Pozzuoli
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| image_caption = Rione Terra, the first settlement
| image_caption = Rione Terra, the first settlement
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| image_shield = Pozzuoli-Stemma.svg
| image_flag = Pozzuoli-Bandiera.svg
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| shield_size = 75px
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[[File:Pozzuoli NASA ISS004-E-5376 added names.jpg |thumb|upright=1.9|right|Pozzuoli and surroundings]]
[[File:Pozzuoli NASA ISS004-E-5376 added names.jpg |thumb|upright=1.9|right|Pozzuoli and surroundings]]


'''Pozzuoli''' ({{IPA-it|potˈtswɔːli}}; {{Lang-nap|Pezzulo}} {{IPA-nap|pətˈtsuːlə|}}; {{Lang-la|Puteoli}}) is a city and ''[[comune]]'' of the [[Metropolitan City of Naples]], in the [[Italy|Italian]] region of [[Campania]]. It is the main city of the [[Campi Flegrei|Phlegrean Peninsula]].
'''Pozzuoli''' ({{IPA|it|potˈtswɔːli|lang}}; {{Langx|nap|Pezzulo}} {{IPA|nap|pətˈtsuːlə|}}; {{Langx|la|Puteoli}}) is a city and {{lang|it|[[comune]]}} (municipality) of the [[Metropolitan City of Naples]], in the [[Italy|Italian]] region of [[Campania]]. It is the main city of the [[Campi Flegrei|Phlegrean Peninsula]].


==History==
==History==
{{Moresources|section|date=February 2023}}
⚫
[[File:Serapeum (Pozzuoli) -2.jpg|thumb|300px|The ancient [[Macellum of Pozzuoli]] was a market building, erroneously identified as a [[Serapeum]] when a statue of [[Serapis]] was discovered]]


=== Antiquity ===
⚫
Pozzuoli began as the Greek [[colony]] of ''Dicaearchia'' ({{lang-el|Δικαιαρχία}}) founded in about 531 BC with the consent of nearby [[Cumae]] when refugees from [[Samos]] escaped from the tyranny of [[Polycrates]].<ref>Stephanus of Byzantium</ref><ref>Puteoli http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0064:id=puteoli-geo</ref>
[[File:Pozzuoli 1800 maiolica 1080008.JPG|thumb|Pozzuoli in 1800, majolica in Pozzuoli]]
[[File:F. Ludwig von Catel.- Festival near Pozzuoli (sans cadre).jpg|thumb|Festival near Pozzuoli, by [[Franz Ludwig Catel]], 1823]]
[[File:Johann Joachim Faber Die Bucht von Pozzuoli bei Neapel 1829.jpg|thumb|View of Pozzuoli in 1829]]
⚫
Pozzuoli began as the Greek [[colony]] of ''Dicaearchia'' ({{langx|el|Δικαιαρχία}}) founded in about 531 BC in [[Magna Graecia]] with the consent of nearby [[Cumae]] when refugees from [[Samos]] escaped from the tyranny of [[Polycrates]].<ref> [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0064:id=puteoli-geo Puteoli], perseus.tufts.edu. Accessed 27 February 2023.</ref>


The [[Samnites]] occupied Dicearchia in 421 BC after having conquered Cumae and may have changed its name to Fistelia.<ref> E. T. Salmon, Samnium and the Samnites, Cambridge 1967, pp. 71, 72</ref> It enjoyed considerable political and commercial autonomy favoured by the excellent position of its port with the Campanian hinterland.
The [[Samnites]] occupied Dicaearchia in 421 BC after conquering Cumae and may have changed its name to Fistelia.<ref>E. T. Salmon, Samnium and the Samnites, Cambridge 1967, pp. 71-72</ref> It enjoyed considerable political and commercial autonomy favoured by the excellent position of its port with the Campanian hinterland. The Roman occupation of Campania after the end of the 1st [[Samnite War]] from 341 BC marked the start of the Romanisation of the Greek-Samnite city.{{cn|date=February 2023}}


⚫
During the [[Second Punic War]] (218-201 BC), Rome recognised the strategic importance of the port of Puteoli and reinforced the defences and introduced a garrison to protect the town from Hannibal, who failed to capture it in 215.<ref>Livy 24.7, pp. 12-13.</ref><ref>Silius Italicus Punica (The Second Carthaginian War) Book XII</ref> They made it a [[Roman colony]] from 195 BC.
The Roman occupation of Campania after the end of the 1st [[Samnite War]] from 341 BC marked the start of Romanisation of the Greek-Samnite city.
⚫
The Roman conquest of the east and the need for a port to trade made it the Mediterranean port of Rome, even though it was 150 miles away. It took the name ''Puteoli'' whose roots are in the Latin {{lang|la|puteus}} (well or cistern).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comuniweb.it/napoli/pozzuoli/index.htm|title=Comune di Pozzuoli (NA)}}</ref> An alternative etymology of Puteoli derives from the Latin {{lang|la|puteo}} (to stink), referring to the [[sulfur]]ic fumes in the area, most notably from [[Solfatara (volcano)|Solfatara]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names |year=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press (Oxford Reference Online Premium Database)|editor=John Everett-Heath|chapter=Pozzuoli}}</ref>


⚫
Puteoli became the great emporium for the [[Alexandria]]n [[cereal|grain]] ships and other ships from all over the Roman world. It also was the main hub for goods exported from [[Campania]], including [[Glassblowing|blown glass]], [[mosaics]], wrought [[iron]], and [[marble]]. [[Gaius Lucilius|Lucilius]] wrote in about 125 BC that it was second only to [[Delos]] in importance, then the greatest harbour of the ancient world. Many inscriptions show that a polyglot population established companies (''stationes'') for trade and transport and formed professional guilds for arts, crafts and religious associations for foreign cults; they included Greeks from the islands and the coast of Asia, Jews and later Christians. Under the Roman Empire, it was the greatest emporium of foreign trade in all of Italy. Trade with [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]] was so important that the Tyrians established a factory there in 174 (C.I. no. 5853).{{cn|date=February 2023}}
⚫
During the [[Second Punic War]] (218-201 BC) Rome had experienced the strategic importance of the port of Puteoli and reinforced the defences and introduced a garrison to protect the town from Hannibal who failed to capture it in 215.<ref>Livy 24.7, 12, 13</ref><ref> Silius Italicus
Punica (The Second Carthaginian War) Book XII </ref> They made it a [[Roman colony]] from 195 BC.


⚫
The [[Roman navy|Roman naval]] base at nearby [[Misenum]] housed the largest naval fleet in the ancient world. It was also the site of the [[Roman Republic|Roman]] [[Dictator]] [[Sulla]]'s country villa and the place where he died in 78&nbsp;BC. [[Cicero]] had a house in Puteoli and a villa nearby on the shore of the [[Lucrine Lake]].<ref>Cicero, de Fat. 1, ad Att. 1.4, 14.7, 15.1)</ref> [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] mentions Puteoli as the site of a famed cochlearium created by [[Quintus Fulvius Lippinus|Fulvius Hirpinus]], known for raising exquisite [[snails]].{{cn|date=February 2023}}
⚫
The Roman conquest of the east and the need to have a port to trade made it the Mediterranean port of Rome, even if 150 miles distant. It took the name ''Puteoli'' whose roots are in the Latin {{lang|la|puteus}} (well or cistern)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comuniweb.it/napoli/pozzuoli/index.htm|title=Comune di Pozzuoli (NA)}}</ref> An alternative etymology of Puteoli derives from the Latin {{lang|la|puteo}} (to stink), referring to the [[sulfur]]ic fumes in the area, most notably from [[Solfatara (volcano)|Solfatara]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names |year=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press (Oxford Reference Online Premium Database)|editor=John Everett-Heath|chapter=Pozzuoli}}</ref>


⚫
The local volcanic sand, [[pozzolana]] (Latin: ''pulvis puteolanus'', "dust of Puteoli") formed the basis for the first effective [[concrete]], as it [[pozzolanic reaction|reacted chemically]] with water. Instead of just [[evaporation|evaporating]] slowly off, the water would turn this [[sand]]/[[lime (material)|lime]] mix into a [[Mortar (masonry)|mortar]] strong enough to bind lumps of [[construction aggregate|aggregate]] into a [[load-bearing wall|load-bearing]] unit. This made it possible to construct the [[cupola]] of the [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]], which is still the world's largest un[[reinforced concrete]] [[dome]].<ref name=MooreCh1>{{cite web |url= http://www.romanconcrete.com/docs/chapt01/chapt01.htm |title=The Pantheon |first=David |last=Moore |work=romanconcrete.com |year=1999}}</ref>
⚫
Puteoli became the great emporium for the [[Alexandria]]n [[cereal|grain]] ships, and other ships from all over the Roman world. It also was the main hub for goods exported from [[Campania]], including [[Glassblowing|blown glass]], [[mosaics]], wrought [[iron]], and [[marble]]. [[Gaius Lucilius|Lucilius]] wrote in about 125 BC that it was second only to [[Delos]] in importance, then the greatest harbour of the ancient world. Many inscriptions show that a polyglot population established companies (''stationes'') for trade and transport and formed professional guilds for arts, crafts and religious associations for foreign cults; they included Greeks from the islands and the coast of Asia, Jews and later Christians. Under the Roman Empire it was the greatest emporium of foreign trade in all Italy. Trade with [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]] was so important that the Tyrians established a factory there in 174 (C.I. no. 5853).


The [[Paul of Tarsus|apostle Paul]] landed in Pozzuoli on his way to [[Rome]], {{convert|170|mi|0|abbr=off}} away, stayed for seven days (''Acts'' 28:13, 14), and then began with his companions his journey by the [[Appian Way]] to Rome.{{cn|date=February 2023}} There was a [[Nabataeans|Nabataean]] community in the city that built a sanctuary at the port; it likely ended in the early second century CE when the site was filled with concrete.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stefanile |first=Michele |last2=Silani |first2=Michele |last3=Tardugno |first3=Maria Luisa |date=2024 |title=The submerged Nabataean temple in Puteoli at Pozzuoli, Italy: first campaign of underwater research |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/submerged-nabataean-temple-in-puteoli-at-pozzuoli-italy-first-campaign-of-underwater-research/446AE61E8E3ECBC6CFA7DF6239452967 |journal=Antiquity |language=en |volume=98 |issue=400 |pages=e20 |doi=10.15184/aqy.2024.107 |issn=0003-598X}}</ref>
⚫
The [[Roman navy|Roman naval]] base at nearby [[Misenum]] housed the largest naval fleet in the ancient world. It was also the site of the [[Roman Republic|Roman]] [[Dictator]] [[Sulla]]'s country villa and the place where he died in 78&nbsp;BC. [[Cicero]] had a house in Puteoli and a villa nearby on the shore of the [[Lucrine Lake]].<ref>Cicero, de Fat. 1, ad Att. 1.4, 14.7, 15.1)</ref> [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] mentions Puteoli as the site of a famed cochlearium created by [[Quintus Fulvius Lippinus|Fulvius Hirpinus]], known for raising exquisite [[snails]].


⚫
In 37&nbsp;AD, Puteoli was the location for a political stunt by Emperor [[Gaius Caligula]], who, on becoming Emperor, ordered a temporary [[Pontoon bridge|floating bridge]] to be built using trading vessels, stretching for over two miles ({{convert|2|mi|abbr=out|disp=output only}}) from the town to the famous neighboring resort of [[Baiae]], across which he proceeded to ride his horse, in defiance of an [[astrologer]]'s prediction that he had "no more chance of becoming Emperor than of riding a horse across the Gulf of Baiae".<ref name="Twelve">C.&nbsp;Suetonius Tranquillius. "Caius Caesar Caligula" [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/6400/6400-h/6400-h.htm ''The Lives of the Twelve Caesars''], gutenberg.org. Accessed 27 February 2023.</ref>
⚫
The local volcanic sand, [[pozzolana]] (Latin: ''pulvis puteolanus'', "dust of Puteoli") formed the basis for the first effective [[concrete]], as it [[pozzolanic reaction|reacted chemically]] with water. Instead of just [[evaporation|evaporating]] slowly off, the water would turn this [[sand]]/[[lime (material)|lime]] mix into a [[Mortar (masonry)|mortar]] strong enough to bind lumps of [[construction aggregate|aggregate]] into a [[load-bearing wall|load-bearing]] unit. This made possible the [[cupola]] of the [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]], which is still the world's largest un[[reinforced concrete]] [[dome]].


⚫
With the development of the port of [[Ostia Antica|Ostia]] begun by [[Claudius]] in 42&nbsp;AD, completed by [[Nero]] in 54 and enlarged by [[Trajan]] between 100 and 106, the fortunes of Puteoli began to decline, although [[Antoninus Pius]] repaired the pier's storm damage in 139. Nero's abortive attempt to build the ''Fossa Neronis'' canal from Puteoli to Rome may have prolonged its life. As a reward for their support in the fight against [[Vitellius]], [[Vespasian]] (r. 69-79&nbsp;AD) installed more veterans there, assigned the city a part of the Capuan territory and gave it the title ''Colonia Flavia'' which it retained.{{cn|date=February 2023}}
The [[Paul of Tarsus|apostle Paul]] landed here on his way to [[Rome]], from which it was {{convert|170|mi|0|abbr=off}} distant. Here he stayed for seven days (''Acts'' 28:13, 14) and then began with his companions his journey by the [[Appian Way]] to Rome.


⚫
[[Hadrian]] died at Baiae in 138 and was at [[Cicero]]'s villa at Puteoli,<ref>Historia Augusta, Hadrianus 25, pp. 5-11.</ref> though his body was later transferred to Rome.
Puteoli is considered the best candidate for the unnamed city where the 1st-century Roman novel ''[[Satyricon]]'' takes place.


⚫
Two aqueducts eventually served Puteoli; the ''Campanian aqueduct'' dating from the 1st c.&nbsp;BC at the latest,<ref>Ferrari Graziano, Lamagna Raffaella. The Campanian Aqueduct stairway was rediscovered. Hypogea 2015 - International congress of speleology in artificial cavities</ref> and also the [[Aqua Augusta (Naples)|Aqua Augusta]]. Several cisterns still exist, including the very large Piscina di Cardito.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.archeoflegrei.it/piscina-cardito/ | title=Piscina Cardito, una cisterna per il foro di Puteoli | date=27 January 2017 }}</ref>
⚫
In 37&nbsp;AD Puteoli was the location for a political stunt by Emperor [[Gaius Caligula]], who on becoming Emperor ordered a temporary [[Pontoon bridge|floating bridge]] to be built using trading vessels, stretching for over two miles ({{convert|2|mi|abbr=out|disp=output only}}) from the town to the famous neighboring resort of [[Baiae]], across which he proceeded to ride his horse, in defiance of an [[astrologer]]'s prediction that he had "no more chance of becoming Emperor than of riding a horse across the Gulf of Baiae".<ref name="Twelve">C.&nbsp;Suetonius Tranquillius. "Caius Caesar Caligula." [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/6400/6400-h/6400-h.htm The Lives of the Twelve Caesars.]</ref>


⚫
[[Saint Proculus of Pozzuoli|Saint Proculus (San Procolo)]] was martyred here with his companions in the fourth century, and is the city's [[patron saint]]. The seven eagle heads on the [[coat of arms]] of the town of Pozzuoli are said to represent seven of these martyrs. November 16 was the official feast day for Saint Proculus. St Proculus was affectionately nicknamed ''{{'}}u pisciasotto'' ("the pants-pisser") because November 16 was often a day of [[rain]]. The townspeople also celebrated his feast day on the second Sunday in May.<ref>[http://www.icampiflegrei.it/Azienda%20Turismo/pozzuoli/articoli2003/novembre_eng.htm Turismo: Pozzuoli], icampiflegrei.it. Accessed 27 February 2023.</ref>
⚫
With the development of the port of [[Ostia Antica|Ostia]] begun by [[Claudius]] in 42 AD, completed by [[Nero]] in 54 and enlarged by [[Trajan]] between 100 and 106, the fortunes of Puteoli began to decline although [[Antoninus Pius]] repaired the pier's storm damage in 139. Nero's abortive attempt to built the ''Fossa Neronis'' canal from Puteoli to Rome may have prolonged its life.


=== Late antiquity ===
As a reward for their support in the fight against [[Vitellius]], [[Vespasian]] (r. 69-79 AD) installed more veterans there, assigned the city a part of the Capuan territory and gave it the title ''Colonia Flavia'' which it retained.
⚫
The city was taken and plundered by [[Alaric I]] in 410, by [[Genseric]] in 455, and by [[Totila]] in 545, from which it took centuries to recover.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

⚫
[[Hadrian]] died at Baiae in 138 and was interred at [[Cicero]]'s villa at Puteoli,<ref>Historia Augusta, Hadrianus 25,5-11</ref> though he was later transferred to Rome.

⚫
Puteoli was eventually supplied with water by two aqueducts; the ''Campanian aqueduct'' dating from the 1st c. BC at latest,<ref> Ferrari Graziano, Lamagna Raffaella. The Campanian Aqueduct stairway rediscovered. Hypogea 2015 - International congress of speleology in artificial cavities</ref> and also the [[Aqua Augusta (Naples)|Aqua Augusta]]. Several cisterns still exist, including tne very large Piscina di Cardito.<ref>http://www.archeoflegrei.it/piscina-cardito/</ref>

⚫
[[Saint Proculus of Pozzuoli|Saint Proculus (San Procolo)]] was martyred here with his companions in the fourth century, and is the city's [[patron saint]]. The seven eagle heads on the [[coat-of-arms]] for the town of Pozzuoli are said to represent seven of these martyrs. November 16 was the official feast day for Saint Proculus. St. Proculus was affectionately nicknamed '''u pisciasotto'' ("the pants-pisser") because November 16 was often a day of [[rain]]. The townspeople also celebrated his feast day on the second Sunday in May.<ref>http://www.icampiflegrei.it/Azienda%20Turismo/pozzuoli/articoli2003/novembre_eng.htm</ref>

⚫
The city was taken and plundered by [[Alaric I]] in 410, by [[Genseric]] in 455, and by [[Totila]] in 545 from which it took centuries to recover.


=== Modern era ===
[[Charles Lyell]] visited Pozzuoli in 1828 and studied the Macellum columns.
[[Charles Lyell]] visited Pozzuoli in 1828 and studied the Macellum columns.


Since 1946 the town has been the home of the [[Accademia Aeronautica]], the Italian Air Force Academy, which was first situated on the island of [[Nisida]], then from 1962 on a purpose-built hilltop campus overlooking the bay.
Since 1946, the town has been the home of the [[Accademia Aeronautica]], the Italian Air Force Academy, which was first situated on the island of [[Nisida]], then from 1962 on a purpose-built hilltop campus overlooking the bay.


From August 1982 to December 1984 the city experienced hundreds of tremors and [[bradyseismic activity]] which reached a peak on 4 October 1983, damaging 8,000 buildings in the city center and dislocating 36,000 people, many permanently. The events raised the sea bottom by almost 2&nbsp;m, and rendered the Bay of Pozzuoli too shallow for large craft.
From August 1982 to December 1984, the city experienced hundreds of tremors and [[bradyseismic activity]], which peaked on 4 October 1983, damaging 8,000 buildings in the city centre and displacing 36,000 people, many permanently. The events raised the sea bottom by almost 2&nbsp;m, and rendered the Bay of Pozzuoli too shallow for large craft.{{cn|date=February 2023}} There was similar seismic activity in 2023.<ref>{{cite news| title=Italy plans for mass evacuation as quakes continue around supervolcano |newspaper=The Guardian | date=5 October 2023 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/05/italy-supervolcano-campi-flegrei-naples-earthquakes-evacuation-plans}}</ref>


==Main sights==
==Main sights==
{{Moresources|section|date=February 2023}}

⚫
[[File:Serapeum (Pozzuoli) -2.jpg|thumb|300px|The ancient [[Macellum of Pozzuoli]] was a market building, erroneously identified as a [[Serapeum]] when a statue of [[Serapis]] was discovered]]
[[File:Amfiteatr Flawiuszy w Pozzuoli.jpg|thumb|300px|Flavian Amphitheatre]]
[[File:Amfiteatr Flawiuszy w Pozzuoli.jpg|thumb|300px|Flavian Amphitheatre]]
[[File:Pozzuoli tempio duomo 03.jpg|thumb|Temple of Augustus in the Cathedral]]
[[File:Pozzuoli tempio duomo 03.jpg|thumb|Temple of Augustus in the Cathedral]]
[[File:Pozzuoli roman street 2005.jpg|thumb|250px|Mausolea lining Roman Road to Naples]]
[[File:Campi Flegrei 2010-by-RaBoe-07.jpg|thumb|View of Pozzuoli]]

The town's attractions include:
The town's attractions include:

*[[Flavian Amphitheatre (Pozzuoli)|Flavian Amphitheatre (Amphitheatrum Flavium)]], the third largest Italian amphitheatre after the [[Colosseum]] and the [[Capua#Amphitheatre|Capuan Amphitheatre]].&nbsp;
*[[Flavian Amphitheatre (Pozzuoli)|Flavian Amphitheatre (Amphitheatrum Flavium)]], the third largest Italian amphitheatre after the [[Colosseum]] and the [[Capua#Amphitheatre|Capuan Amphitheatre]].&nbsp;
*The [[Macellum of Pozzuoli]], also known as the ''Temple of Serapis'' or [[serapeum]], is considered the city's symbol. The "temple" was actually a marketplace. Its name derives from the misinterpretation of its function after a statue of the god [[Serapis]] was found in 1750 at this location. The Macellum includes three majestic columns in [[Cipollino marble]], which show erosion from marine ''[[Lithophaga]]'' molluscs when, at an earlier time, the ground level was much lower due to [[Bradyseism]], and sea-water could flow in.<ref>{{cite book|last=Legler|first= Rolf |year=1990|title=Der Golf von Neapel|location=Cologne|language= de|publisher= DuMont Buchverlag|isbn= 978-3-7701-2254-7}}</ref>
*The [[Macellum of Pozzuoli]], also known as the ''Temple of Serapis'' or [[serapeum]], is considered the city's symbol. The "temple" was a marketplace. Its name derives from the misinterpretation of its function after a statue of the god [[Serapis]] was found in 1750. The Macellum includes three majestic columns in [[Cipollino marble]], which show erosion from marine ''[[Lithophaga]]'' molluscs when, at an earlier time, the ground level was much lower due to [[Bradyseism]], and sea-water could flow in.<ref>{{cite book|last=Legler|first= Rolf |year=1990|title=Der Golf von Neapel|location=Cologne|language= de|publisher= DuMont Buchverlag|isbn= 978-3-7701-2254-7}}</ref>
*Temple of Augustus (part of the cathedral)
*Temple of Augustus (part of the cathedral)
*smaller Amphitheatre, very near to the Flavian one, its remains were absorbed by other buildings, but some arches can be seen by Via Solfatara and Via Vigna.
*Smaller Amphitheatre, very close to the Flavian one, its remains were absorbed by other buildings, but some arches can be seen by Via Solfatara and Via Vign
*Roman Baths, so-called Temple of Neptune, the remains of a big thermal complex now in Corso Terracciano which included also "Dianae Nymphaeum" nearby.
*Roman Baths, the so-called Temple of Neptune, are the remains of a big thermal complex now in Corso Terracciano, which also included the nearby "Dianae Nymphaeum".
*The Villa Avellino park has several Roman ruins and cisterns. There is also a still working Roman "face" water fountain.
*The Villa Avellino park has several Roman ruins and cisterns. There is also a still working Roman "face" water fountain.
*[[Rione Terra]], the first settlement of Puteoli, originally Dicearkia in Greek.
*[[Rione Terra]], the first settlement of Puteoli, originally Dikaiarkhia in Greek.
*Necropolis of Via Celle, a rich complex of tombs and mausoleums, very near to an old Roman road still used today (Via Cupa Cigliano)
*Necropolis of Via Celle, a rich complex of tombs and mausoleums, very near to an old Roman road still used today (Via Cupa Cigliano).
*Necropolis of the Via Puteolis Capuam, just under the bridge that leads outside the city near Via Solfatara
*Necropolis of the Via Puteolis Capuam, just under the bridge that leads outside the city near Via Solfatara.
*Stadium of Antoninus Pius, a very similar stadium to the Domitian one in Rome, partially excavated (Via Campi Flegrei).
*Stadium of Antoninus Pius, a very similar stadium to the Domitian one in Rome, partially excavated (Via Campi Flegrei).
*The Piscina di Cardito cistern, second in size only to the [[Piscina Mirabilis]], and uses as a settlement tank for the water supply from the Aqua Augusta aqueduct.
*The Piscina di Cardito cistern, second in size only to the [[Piscina Mirabilis]], and used as a settlement tank for the water supply from the Aqua Augusta aqueduct.
*Sanctuary of ''San Gennaro'' ([[St.&nbsp;Januarius]]). With the [[Cathedral of Naples]], it is one of the two places in which the alleged miracle of the liquefaction of the saint's blood occurs.
*Sanctuary of ''San Gennaro'' ([[St.&nbsp;Januarius]]). Along with the [[Cathedral of Naples]], it is one of the two places where the alleged miracle of the liquefaction of the saint's blood occurs.
*[[Solfatara (volcano)|Solfatara]] (volcanic crater with active [[fumaroles]])
*[[Solfatara (volcano)|Solfatara]] (volcanic crater with active [[fumaroles]])


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==Notable people==
==Notable people==
* [[Januarius]], Patron Saint of Naples, executed at [[Solfatara (volcano)|Solfatara]] c.&nbsp;305
* [[Januarius]], Patron Saint of Naples, executed at [[Solfatara (volcano)|Solfatara]] c.&nbsp;305.
* [[Josephus]] landed there on his way to Rome (''The Life of Flavius Josephus''; 3.16)
* [[Josephus]] landed there on his way to Rome (''The Life of Flavius Josephus''; 3.16).
* [[William Jopling]], British [[leprology|leprologist]], born there
* [[William Jopling]], British [[leprology|leprologist]], was born there.
* [[Sophia Loren]], film actress, grew up there
* [[Sophia Loren]], film actress, grew up there.
* [[Gilbert, Count of Montpensier]], Viceroy of Naples died there on 15 October 1496
* [[Gilbert, Count of Montpensier]], Viceroy of Naples, died there on 15 October 1496.
* [[Saint Paul, the Apostle]] landed there on his way to Rome. (Acts 28:13)
* [[Saint Paul, the Apostle]] landed there on his way to Rome (Acts 28:13).
* [[Giovanni Battista Pergolesi]], Baroque composer, died there
* [[Giovanni Battista Pergolesi]], Baroque composer, died there.
* [[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]], Dictator of Rome, died at his villa there
* [[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]], Dictator of Rome, died at his villa there.
* [[Ludovica Nasti]], “L’amica geniale”/“My Brilliant Friend” actress, originally from there


==See also==
==See also==
*''[[De balneis Puteolanis]]''
*''[[De balneis Puteolanis]]''
*[[Pozzolan]], [[pozzolana]], [[pozzolanic activity]]: terms relating to lithic material named after Pozzuoli, which is used to create cement


==References==
==References==
Line 153: Line 150:
{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Commons category-inline}}
*[http://www.kub.it/foto/campania/pozzuoli Kub Foto Pozzuoli]
*[http://www.kub.it/foto/campania/pozzuoli Kub Foto Pozzuoli]
*[http://www.pozzuolimania.com/ Pozzuoli Italian Portal (soon translated in english)]
*[http://www.pozzuolimania.com/ Pozzuoli Italian Portal (soon translated into English)]


{{Archaeological sites in Campania}}
{{Archaeological sites in Campania}}

Latest revision as of 18:31, 22 October 2024

Pozzuoli
Pezzulo (Neapolitan)
Comune
Rione Terra, the first settlement
Rione Terra, the first settlement
Flag of Pozzuoli
Flag
Coat of arms of Pozzuoli
Coat of arms
Location of Pozzuoli
Map
Pozzuoli is located in Italy
Pozzuoli
Pozzuoli
Location of Pozzuoli in Campania
Pozzuoli is located in Campania
Pozzuoli
Pozzuoli
Pozzuoli (Campania)
Coordinates: 40°50′40″N 14°05′36″E / 40.84444°N 14.09333°E / 40.84444; 14.09333
CountryItaly
RegionCampania
Metropolitan cityNaples (NA)
FrazioniArco Felice, Campana Annunziata, Cuma, Licola Centro, Licola Lido, Lucrino, Montenuovo, Monterusciello, Pisciarelli, Toiano
Government
 • MayorVincenzo Figliolia (PD)
Area
[1]
 • Total
43.44 km2 (16.77 sq mi)
Elevation
28 m (92 ft)
Population
 (31 August 2017)[2]
 • Total
81,231
 • Density1,900/km2 (4,800/sq mi)
DemonymPuteolani
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
80078, 80014, 80125
Dialing code081
Patron saintSt. Proculus
Saint day16 November
WebsiteOfficial website
Pozzuoli and surroundings

Pozzuoli (Italian: [potˈtswɔːli]; Neapolitan: Pezzulo [pətˈtsuːlə]; Latin: Puteoli) is a city and comune (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula.

History

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Antiquity

[edit]
Pozzuoli in 1800, majolica in Pozzuoli
Festival near Pozzuoli, by Franz Ludwig Catel, 1823
View of Pozzuoli in 1829

Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of Dicaearchia (Greek: Δικαιαρχία) founded in about 531 BC in Magna Graecia with the consent of nearby Cumae when refugees from Samos escaped from the tyranny of Polycrates.[3]

The Samnites occupied Dicaearchia in 421 BC after conquering Cumae and may have changed its name to Fistelia.[4] It enjoyed considerable political and commercial autonomy favoured by the excellent position of its port with the Campanian hinterland. The Roman occupation of Campania after the end of the 1st Samnite War from 341 BC marked the start of the Romanisation of the Greek-Samnite city.[citation needed]

During the Second Punic War (218-201 BC), Rome recognised the strategic importance of the port of Puteoli and reinforced the defences and introduced a garrison to protect the town from Hannibal, who failed to capture it in 215.[5][6] They made it a Roman colony from 195 BC. The Roman conquest of the east and the need for a port to trade made it the Mediterranean port of Rome, even though it was 150 miles away. It took the name Puteoli whose roots are in the Latin puteus (well or cistern).[7] An alternative etymology of Puteoli derives from the Latin puteo (to stink), referring to the sulfuric fumes in the area, most notably from Solfatara.[8]

Puteoli became the great emporium for the Alexandrian grain ships and other ships from all over the Roman world. It also was the main hub for goods exported from Campania, including blown glass, mosaics, wrought iron, and marble. Lucilius wrote in about 125 BC that it was second only to Delos in importance, then the greatest harbour of the ancient world. Many inscriptions show that a polyglot population established companies (stationes) for trade and transport and formed professional guilds for arts, crafts and religious associations for foreign cults; they included Greeks from the islands and the coast of Asia, Jews and later Christians. Under the Roman Empire, it was the greatest emporium of foreign trade in all of Italy. Trade with Tyre was so important that the Tyrians established a factory there in 174 (C.I. no. 5853).[citation needed]

The Roman naval base at nearby Misenum housed the largest naval fleet in the ancient world. It was also the site of the Roman Dictator Sulla's country villa and the place where he died in 78 BC. Cicero had a house in Puteoli and a villa nearby on the shore of the Lucrine Lake.[9] Pliny mentions Puteoli as the site of a famed cochlearium created by Fulvius Hirpinus, known for raising exquisite snails.[citation needed]

The local volcanic sand, pozzolana (Latin: pulvis puteolanus, "dust of Puteoli") formed the basis for the first effective concrete, as it reacted chemically with water. Instead of just evaporating slowly off, the water would turn this sand/lime mix into a mortar strong enough to bind lumps of aggregate into a load-bearing unit. This made it possible to construct the cupola of the Pantheon, which is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.[10]

The apostle Paul landed in Pozzuoli on his way to Rome, 170 miles (274 kilometres) away, stayed for seven days (Acts 28:13, 14), and then began with his companions his journey by the Appian Way to Rome.[citation needed] There was a Nabataean community in the city that built a sanctuary at the port; it likely ended in the early second century CE when the site was filled with concrete.[11]

In 37 AD, Puteoli was the location for a political stunt by Emperor Gaius Caligula, who, on becoming Emperor, ordered a temporary floating bridge to be built using trading vessels, stretching for over two miles (3.2 km) from the town to the famous neighboring resort of Baiae, across which he proceeded to ride his horse, in defiance of an astrologer's prediction that he had "no more chance of becoming Emperor than of riding a horse across the Gulf of Baiae".[12]

With the development of the port of Ostia begun by Claudius in 42 AD, completed by Nero in 54 and enlarged by Trajan between 100 and 106, the fortunes of Puteoli began to decline, although Antoninus Pius repaired the pier's storm damage in 139. Nero's abortive attempt to build the Fossa Neronis canal from Puteoli to Rome may have prolonged its life. As a reward for their support in the fight against Vitellius, Vespasian (r. 69-79 AD) installed more veterans there, assigned the city a part of the Capuan territory and gave it the title Colonia Flavia which it retained.[citation needed]

Hadrian died at Baiae in 138 and was at Cicero's villa at Puteoli,[13] though his body was later transferred to Rome.

Two aqueducts eventually served Puteoli; the Campanian aqueduct dating from the 1st c. BC at the latest,[14] and also the Aqua Augusta. Several cisterns still exist, including the very large Piscina di Cardito.[15]

Saint Proculus (San Procolo) was martyred here with his companions in the fourth century, and is the city's patron saint. The seven eagle heads on the coat of arms of the town of Pozzuoli are said to represent seven of these martyrs. November 16 was the official feast day for Saint Proculus. St Proculus was affectionately nicknamed 'u pisciasotto ("the pants-pisser") because November 16 was often a day of rain. The townspeople also celebrated his feast day on the second Sunday in May.[16]

Late antiquity

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The city was taken and plundered by Alaric I in 410, by Genseric in 455, and by Totila in 545, from which it took centuries to recover.[citation needed]

Modern era

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Charles Lyell visited Pozzuoli in 1828 and studied the Macellum columns.

Since 1946, the town has been the home of the Accademia Aeronautica, the Italian Air Force Academy, which was first situated on the island of Nisida, then from 1962 on a purpose-built hilltop campus overlooking the bay.

From August 1982 to December 1984, the city experienced hundreds of tremors and bradyseismic activity, which peaked on 4 October 1983, damaging 8,000 buildings in the city centre and displacing 36,000 people, many permanently. The events raised the sea bottom by almost 2 m, and rendered the Bay of Pozzuoli too shallow for large craft.[citation needed] There was similar seismic activity in 2023.[17]

Main sights

[edit]
The ancient Macellum of Pozzuoli was a market building, erroneously identified as a Serapeum when a statue of Serapis was discovered
Flavian Amphitheatre
Temple of Augustus in the Cathedral
View of Pozzuoli

The town's attractions include:

  • Flavian Amphitheatre (Amphitheatrum Flavium), the third largest Italian amphitheatre after the Colosseum and the Capuan Amphitheatre. 
  • The Macellum of Pozzuoli, also known as the Temple of Serapis or serapeum, is considered the city's symbol. The "temple" was a marketplace. Its name derives from the misinterpretation of its function after a statue of the god Serapis was found in 1750. The Macellum includes three majestic columns in Cipollino marble, which show erosion from marine Lithophaga molluscs when, at an earlier time, the ground level was much lower due to Bradyseism, and sea-water could flow in.[18]
  • Temple of Augustus (part of the cathedral)
  • Smaller Amphitheatre, very close to the Flavian one, its remains were absorbed by other buildings, but some arches can be seen by Via Solfatara and Via Vign
  • Roman Baths, the so-called Temple of Neptune, are the remains of a big thermal complex now in Corso Terracciano, which also included the nearby "Dianae Nymphaeum".
  • The Villa Avellino park has several Roman ruins and cisterns. There is also a still working Roman "face" water fountain.
  • Rione Terra, the first settlement of Puteoli, originally Dikaiarkhia in Greek.
  • Necropolis of Via Celle, a rich complex of tombs and mausoleums, very near to an old Roman road still used today (Via Cupa Cigliano).
  • Necropolis of the Via Puteolis Capuam, just under the bridge that leads outside the city near Via Solfatara.
  • Stadium of Antoninus Pius, a very similar stadium to the Domitian one in Rome, partially excavated (Via Campi Flegrei).
  • The Piscina di Cardito cistern, second in size only to the Piscina Mirabilis, and used as a settlement tank for the water supply from the Aqua Augusta aqueduct.
  • Sanctuary of San Gennaro (St. Januarius). Along with the Cathedral of Naples, it is one of the two places where the alleged miracle of the liquefaction of the saint's blood occurs.
  • Solfatara (volcanic crater with active fumaroles)

Transportation

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It is easily reached by train from Rome on Naples Metro line 2, and by the trains of "Cumana" lines leaving from the station of Montesanto, in the city center.

Neighbouring communes

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Notable people

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See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ^ Puteoli, perseus.tufts.edu. Accessed 27 February 2023.
  4. ^ E. T. Salmon, Samnium and the Samnites, Cambridge 1967, pp. 71-72
  5. ^ Livy 24.7, pp. 12-13.
  6. ^ Silius Italicus Punica (The Second Carthaginian War) Book XII
  7. ^ "Comune di Pozzuoli (NA)".
  8. ^ John Everett-Heath, ed. (2010). "Pozzuoli". Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. Oxford University Press (Oxford Reference Online Premium Database).
  9. ^ Cicero, de Fat. 1, ad Att. 1.4, 14.7, 15.1)
  10. ^ Moore, David (1999). "The Pantheon". romanconcrete.com.
  11. ^ Stefanile, Michele; Silani, Michele; Tardugno, Maria Luisa (2024). "The submerged Nabataean temple in Puteoli at Pozzuoli, Italy: first campaign of underwater research". Antiquity. 98 (400): e20. doi:10.15184/aqy.2024.107. ISSN 0003-598X.
  12. ^ C. Suetonius Tranquillius. "Caius Caesar Caligula" The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, gutenberg.org. Accessed 27 February 2023.
  13. ^ Historia Augusta, Hadrianus 25, pp. 5-11.
  14. ^ Ferrari Graziano, Lamagna Raffaella. The Campanian Aqueduct stairway was rediscovered. Hypogea 2015 - International congress of speleology in artificial cavities
  15. ^ "Piscina Cardito, una cisterna per il foro di Puteoli". 27 January 2017.
  16. ^ Turismo: Pozzuoli, icampiflegrei.it. Accessed 27 February 2023.
  17. ^ "Italy plans for mass evacuation as quakes continue around supervolcano". The Guardian. 5 October 2023.
  18. ^ Legler, Rolf (1990). Der Golf von Neapel (in German). Cologne: DuMont Buchverlag. ISBN 978-3-7701-2254-7.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Amalfitano, Paolo, et al. (1990) I Campi Flegrei, Venezia
  • Annecchino, Raimondo (1960) Storia di Pozzuoli e della zona flegrea. Pozzuoli: Arti Grafiche D. Conte
  • Gianfrotta, Piero Alfredo & Maniscalco, Fabio (eds.) (1998) Forma Maris: Forum Internazionale di Archeologia Subacquea. Puteoli
  • Gore, Rick (May 1984). "A Prayer For Pozzuoli". National Geographic. Vol. 165, no. 5. pp. 614–625. ISSN 0027-9358. OCLC 643483454.
  • Puteoli: studi di storia Romana; no. 2; 4/5
    • Sommella, Paolo (1978) Forma e urbanistica di Pozzuoli romana. Pozzuoli: Azienda Autonoma di Soggiorno, Cura e Turismo di Pozzuoli
    • Atti del convegno Studi e ricerche su Puteoli romana: Napoli, Centre J. Bérard, 2-3 aprile 1979. Napoli, 1984
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Media related to Pozzuoli at Wikimedia Commons

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