Living on the Edge: The City of Pozzuoli

I lived in Naples for 6 years and it was a rare day in and around that city that I wouldn't classify as an adventure! There's so much to do and see I could it about Naples for weeks (in fact you can read about it here and here and here). The town of Pozzuoli is one small town that I really enjoy (and actually a few kilometers outside the city proper). Pozzuoli is a fun place to visit with some cool sites to see, but more importantly it's the debarkation point if you want to travel to the neighboring islands of Ischia, Procida or Capri).

Pozzuoli is actually two separate entities: there's "old town" and "new town". The old town of Pozzuoli isn't really that old. It is the portion of the town that was abandoned after earthquakes shook the town to its core.

Pozzuoli, like most of Naples, is still situated on a volcanic fault line. In fact, most mornings you can smell the sulfur in the air. And there are still many "sulfur baths" in the area noted for their recuperative benefits. From August 1982 to December 1984 the city of Pozzuoli experienced hundreds of tremors and seismic activity which reached a peak on October 4, 1983 damaging some 8,000 buildings in the city center and dislocating nearly 40,000 people, many permanently. This led to the creation of "new town" which is basically everything that was rebuilt after the quake of '83.

Fortunately the Port of Pozzuoli suffered the least amount of damage, allowing for ferryboats to continue business to the outer islands. Also most of the big-ticket items worth seeing are near the Port of Pozzuoli and in fact any visit to Pozzuoli is really all about visiting the Port.

Pozzuoli's biggest attraction is The Macellum or Temple of Serapis, and is pretty much right off the port in the center of the town. The "temple" was actually a marketplace and includes three majestic marble columns. Most often entrance to the temple is closed to the public. But the area is so big that you can walk its perimeter and still take some great photos.

Nearby is the Sanctuary ofSan Gennaro, one of two locations in Naples in which the alleged miracle of the liquefaction occurs. The Festival of San Gennaro is not to be missed and takes place on September 19^th each year. The festival celebrating the Patron Saint of Pozzuoli is another biggie and takes place around the middle of November.

The town of Pozzuoli - because it is a port town - is famous for its seafood and you'll have no problem finding some great eateries. My favorite is the restaurant "Sale e Peppe" (salt and pepper) located right behind the Temple of Serapis (Via Sacchini, 25, tel: 081 5266970).

The city of Naples fits the bill as the "city that never sleeps" but smaller towns like Pozzuoli are what make a visit to the Campania region memorable.