Mt. Vesuvius is the best known volcano on
earth; it dominates the Bay of Naples with
its characteristic cone. It is a typical
example of a volcano in a volcano made by an
outer broken cone.
Mount
Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in
AD 79 that led to the destruction of the
Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and
the death of 10,000 to 25,000 people. It has
erupted many times since and is today
regarded as one of the most dangerous
volcanoes in the world because of the
population of 3,000,000 people living nearby
and its tendency towards explosive (Plinian)
eruptions. It is the most densely populated
volcanic region in the world. Mount Vesuvius
was regarded by the Greeks and Romans as
being sacred to the hero and demigod
Heracles/Hercules, and the town of
Herculaneum, built at its base, was named
after him.
The last eruption of Vesuvius
began on 18th March 1944 during the
occupation of the allied troops. This
concluded a period of minor eruptions from
the central crater which began in 1914.
