Monte Somma
Ottaviano
Hidden gemNature
The story
The ancient volcanic ring that embraces Vesuvius, with its jagged crests and woods of holm oak and chestnut where the noise of the city gets lost.
Access
FREE
The story
Monte Somma is the ancient volcano that envelops Vesuvius: its enclosure — the caldera left by the collapse of about twenty-five thousand years ago — embraces the younger cone, forming the Somma-Vesuvius complex. The highest point, Punta Nasone, reaches 1,132 metres. Between the two opens the Valle del Gigante (Valley of the Giant).
What to see
The jagged ridge of the Somma that crowns Vesuvius, with woods, broom and wide panoramas over the gulf; between the Somma and the cone, the Atrio del Cavallo and the 1944 lava flow. A wild environment in the heart of the Vesuvius National Park.
Hours and prices
Free entry.
Tips
The trails of the Somma are in the Vesuvius National Park, an active and monitored volcano: find out about the routes and the access status on the Park's official site before going, and do not leave the trails. Trekking shoes, water and attention to the weather at altitude.
Frequently asked questions
What is Monte Somma?
The ancient volcano whose enclosure (caldera) envelops Vesuvius, forming the Somma-Vesuvius complex; its highest point, Punta Nasone, is at 1,132 metres.
What is the difference between Monte Somma and Vesuvius?
Monte Somma is the older volcano, of which the great enclosure remains; Vesuvius is the younger cone grown inside it. Between the two opens the Valle del Gigante.
Can you trek on Monte Somma?
Yes, with the trails of the Vesuvius National Park; it is best to check the routes and access on the Park's official site and to stay on the trails, in an active volcanic area.
More gems in Ottaviano
- ◆ Nature
Valle dell'Inferno
Ottaviano
The wild hollow between Monte Somma and the Gran Cono, among ropy lava flows and broom that in spring sets the landscape ablaze with yellow.
- ◆ History & archaeology
Palazzo Mediceo
Ottaviano (NA)
At the foot of Vesuvius, the ancient fortress that the Medici turned into a residence dominates Ottaviano; today it houses the park authority, suspended between medieval stone and gardens in the shadow of the volcano.
More gems: Nature
◆ NatureOrto Botanico
via Foria
Founded in the Napoleonic age, the botanical garden on via Foria lines up glasshouses, palms and rare species across twelve hectares: a green breath a step away from the traffic.
◆ NaturePedamentina di San Martino
Vomero→centro
A fourteenth-century stairway dropping from the hill of San Martino down to the city: hundreds of steps through vegetable plots, gardens and glimpses of the bay — one of the finest urban paths in Naples.
NatureVilla Comunale
Riviera di Chiaia
The garden stretched out along the sea at Chiaia: avenues of holm oaks, benches and old statues, with the gulf breathing beyond the iron railing.
NatureAcquario Anton Dohrn
Riviera di Chiaia
The oldest aquarium in Europe, opened in 1874 inside the Villa Comunale: historic tanks inhabited only by the fauna of the Gulf of Naples, behind the glass.
NatureSolfatara
Pozzuoli
The ground breathes: hissing fumaroles, mud that boils up and a smell of sulphur reminding you how alive the earth is beneath the Campi Flegrei.
- ◆ Nature
Vigna di San Martino
collina S. Martino
One of the largest urban vineyards in Europe, worked by the Carthusians since the fourteenth century: seven hectares of vines, citrus and olive trees hanging over the bay, a step from the city's chaos.