Phlegraean Fields 'The Burning Fields'

To the northwest of Naples are the Phlegraean Fields, a land of volcanic origins, immortalized in the epic poems of Homer and Virgil. From Agnano to Pozzuoli, twenty-four geothermal springs bring forth mineral-rich waters and mud that, like in the past, are used in their spa centers. The Phlegraean Fields are boiling! When the Greeks settled here centuries ago, they were convinced that this area was the entrance to the underworld. Here, from the Euboic rock of Cumae, the Sibyl used to prophesy. In later years in Rome, to consult the book of the Sibyl was thought to be a last chance effort. In this area the Romans established a second general quarter; great ports hidden in the lakes; imperial villas with sparkling hot water; the first amphitheater; the terminal of the longest and most important aqueduct they ever built; an underground cathedral full of water. They also cut the mountains to let the roads pass through them. In the Phlegraean Fields, St. Gennaro was beheaded and on the anniversary of that day every year, the rock where he was beheaded becomes red. It was also here that St. Paul disembarked on his way to Rome…..Not to be missed!!!