The Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei in italian) are a huge volcanic area located to north-west of Naples; the word "flegrei" derives from the greek word flègo that means "I burn", and therefore it indicates the "burning fields". The Phlegraean Fields are a land in which the nature shows all its beauty and its force, between sea, lakes, forests and volcanos: in the zone there are in fact at least 24 craters and volcanic edifices, among which the Solfatara, the crater of an ancient volcano, that is a popular tourist attraction, as it has many fumaroles and mud pools.
The typical phenomenon of the zone of the Phlegraean Fields is the bradyseism, that is the gradual uplift or descent of part of the Earth's surface, caused by the underground volcanic activity: for this reason, in 1984 the port of Pozzuoli had to be moved, as the level of the earth raised of 180 centimeters.
In the territory there are a lot of small lakes, formed by the filling of volcanic craters: among these lake we remember Lake Avernus (Lago d'Averno) and Lucrine Lake (Lago Lucrino): Lake Avernus was considered the entrance to Hades by the Romans because of the poisonous fumes that it emitted. In the outskirts you can visit the ruins of Cumae, ancient Greek town, famous as the seat of the Cumaean Sibyl.
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