ENGLISH * LAKE
AVERNUS AND MONTE NUOVO
"FACILIS
DESCENSUS AVERNI: NOCTES ATQUE DIES/PATET ATRI IANUA DITIS." ("EASY
IS THE DESCENT TO AVERNUS: NIGHT AND DAY THE DOOR OF GLOOMY DIS STANDS OPEN."
VIRGIL, AENEID, BOOK VI).
WITH THESE WORDS, THE
CUMAEAN SIBYL TELLS AENEAS OF THE GATE TO HELL, OR LAKE AVERNUS. TO ENTER
IS EASY, BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO COME OUT ALIVE. THE FACT THAT THE NAME AVERNUS
COMES FROM THE GREEK "AORNUM", MEANING "BIRDLESS", MUST
HAVE SUGGESTED SUCH AN IMAGE TO VIRGIL. WHY WAS THE LAKE WITHOUT BIRDS? PERHAPS
BECAUSE OF THE SULPHUROUS VAPOURS EMITTED BY THE ANCIENT CRATER. A PLACE WITHOUT
LIFE: THE DWELLING PLACE OF THE DEAD.
SURROUNDED BY GREENERY
AND IMMERSED IN CALM SECLUSION, THE LAKE SEEMS TO CONVEY THE SERENITY WITH
WHICH MEN OF THE CLASSICAL WORLD CONFRONTED DEATH. UNFORTUNATELY, FROM OUR
HEIGHT, WE CANNOT EVEN MAKE OUT THE TRACK IN FRONT OF THE TUNNEL WHICH CONNECTS
THE PHLEGREAN REGION WITH CUMA: A LARGE VESTIBULE WHERE TRACES OF FRESCOES
STILL SURVIVE, ALONG WITH A POOL OF THERMAL WATERS.
IT WAS AGRIPPA WHO WANTED
A TUNNEL BUILT HERE, AND APPOINTED COCCEIUS TO BUILD IT (THE SAME ARCHITECT
WHO BUILT THE TEMPLE OF AUGUSTUS ON THE ACROPOLIS OF POZZUOLI). THIS TUNNEL
WAS THE SECRET PASSAGEWAY USED BY THE CUMAEAN SIBYL WHEN SHE WENT TO QUESTION
THE SPIRITS OF THE DEAD (WHO DWELT IN AVERNUS) AND TO HEAR THEIR PROGNOSTICATIONS.
THE SIBYL WAS THE ONLY LIVING BEING WHO COULD ENTER AND LEAVE THE KINGDOM
OF THE DEAD. HOWEVER, SHE BESTOWED THIS POWER, QUITE EXCEPTIONALLY, ON AENEAS,
WHO, ONCE HE HAD FOUND THE GOLDEN BOUGH, CROSSED THE THRESHOLD OF "GLOOMY
DIS": THERE HE ENCOUNTERED THE SAD SPIRIT OF DIDO, WHO KILLED HERSELF
FOR LOVE OF HIM AND SHOWED NO RECOGNITION, AND HIS FATHER ANCHISES, WHO PROPHESIED
TO HIS SON THE FOUNDATION OF ROME.
LAKE AVERNUS IS CONNECTED
TO THE NEARBY LUCRINE LAKE, WHICH IS, IN ITS TURN, CONNECTED TO THE SEA BY
A CANAL. THE OTHER LAKE IN THE AREA, LAKE FUSARO, IS ALSO OF VOLCANIC ORIGIN;
IT TOO IS CONNECTED TO THE SEA BY TWO SPECTACULAR CANALS BORED IN THE TUFA
ROCK, AND IS CELEBRATED ABOVE ALL FOR ITS MUSSEL FARMS. IN CLASSICAL TIMES,
IT WAS THE RESORT OF THE ROMAN ARISTOCRACY, WHO BUILT BEAUTIFUL VILLAS ROUND
THE MOUTH OF THE LAKE WE CAN SEE THE RUINS OF ONE, WHICH BELONGED TO SERVILIUS
VATIA. NEAR THE VILLA THERE ARE TWO MAGNIFICIENT RESERVOIRS WITH ENORMOUS
ARCHES. UNLIKE AVERNUS, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN MANY BIRDS HERE: FERDINAND I
AND IV USED TO COME HERE TO PURSUE HIS GREATEST PASSION QUAIL HUNTING. HE
HAD VANVITELLI BUILD HIM THE BEAUTIFUL LITTLE HOUSE WE CAN SEE, FOR THIS PURPOSE,
KNOWN AS THE ROYAL CASINO.
IN ROMAN TIMES, ALL THE
PHLEGREAN AREA WAS FLAT, AND THE MOUNTAIN WE CAN SEE THE ROUND OUTLINE OF
ITS CRATER DID NOT EXIST. ONE OF THE UPHEAVALS OF THE EARTH SO COMMON IN THIS
RESTLESS LAND PRODUCED MONTE NUOVO (THE NEW MOUNTAIN) IN THE COURSE OF A SINGLE
NIGHT, IN 1538. FROM ABOVE, THIS BEAUTIFUL CRATER LOOKS LIKE A NATURAL AMPHITHEATRE.
WE MUST HOPE THAT THE ALREADY FORMULATED PROJECT FOR BUILDING SUCH A CONSTRUCTION
HERE WILL SOON BE CARRIED OUT, IF BRADYSEISM PERMITS IT. AN AMPHITHEATRE INSIDE
A CRATER THAT WOULD INDEED BE UNIQUE.
