Lago d'Averno
Pozzuoli (NA)
KnownNature
The story
In the extinct crater of a volcano, the still waters of Averno: for the ancients the threshold of the underworld, the one Aeneas crossed to descend into the kingdom of shadows.
Access
FREE
The story
Lake Avernus (Lago d'Averno) fills a volcanic crater of the Campi Flegrei, near Pozzuoli. For the ancients it was the entrance to the underworld: Virgil, in the Aeneid, has Aeneas descend here into the realm of the dead after consulting the Sibyl. The name itself, from the Greek 'without birds', is born of the vapours that were said to drive the birds away.
What to see
A quiet and evocative sheet of water, closed by the crater walls, with the remains of the so-called Temple of Apollo (in reality a great Roman thermal building) on the shore. Around it, vineyards and paths: a place of myth and silence a stone's throw from Pozzuoli.
Hours and prices
Free entry.
Tips
The lake is free to access and is walked on foot along the shore. You are in the Campi Flegrei, an area of active bradyseism: check for any restrictions on the official channels before going. To be combined with the Grotta di Cocceio, with Cumae and the other Flegrean sites.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Lake Avernus linked to the underworld?
Because antiquity placed here the entrance to the realm of the dead: Virgil, in the Aeneid, has Aeneas descend here after the Sibyl's response.
What can you see at Lake Avernus?
The volcanic lake in its crater, the remains of the so-called Temple of Apollo (a Roman thermal building) and the vineyards all around.
Where does the name Avernus come from?
From the Greek 'without birds', for the vapours that according to tradition drove the birds away from its waters.
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