Monte Nuovo

It’s not every week that a mountain just appears on the scene. But this is exactly what happened just west of Pozzuoli in 1538. It all began in the early 1530s, when the area began experiencing an unusual level of seismic activity. Meanwhile, locals began noticing a dramatic uplift of the land between Lago d’Averno, Monte Barbaro and the sea, which displaced the coast by several hundred metres. Little did they know that under them a Monte Nuovo was getting set for its grand debut. At 8pm on 29 September 1538, a crack appeared in the earth near the ancient Roman settlement of Tripergole, spewing out a violent concoction of pumice, fire and smoke over six days. By the end of the week, Pozzuoli had a new 134m-tall neighbour. Today, Europe’s newest mountain is a lush and peaceful nature reserve. Off the tourist track, its shady sea-view slopes are the perfect spot for a chilled-out stroll or picnic.