Crypta napoletana
Encyclopedia
The Crypta Neapolitana is an ancient Roman
tunnel in Naples
, Italy
.
and, then, the town of Pozzuoli
along the road known as the via Domiziana
. The tunnel is over 700 meters long. The eastern entrance (that is, on the Naples side) is in the part of Naples known as Piedigrotta
("at the foot of the grotta"); the western end is in the area now called Fuorigrotta
("outside the grotta"). The Piedigrotta entrance is now enclosed within an archaeological park. The site is also noteworthy for the presence of the so-called Virgil's tomb
, as well as the tomb of the Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi
.
in a single night! In fact it was built under the direction of the Roman
architect Lucius Cocceius Auctus
during the civil war between Octavian
and Sextus Pompeius
ca.37 BCE. The tunnel is one of a number of such works in the Naples area built by Cocceius.
The tunnel was still in active use as late as the 19th century and shows extensive restoration done by the architects of the Bourbon dynasty of Naples of that period. It was superseded by two modern tunnels in the early 20th century. Today, it is under restoration as an archaeological site.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
tunnel in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Geography
The tunnel passes beneath the Posillipo hill and connects Naples with the so-called Phlegrean FieldsCampi Flegrei
The Phlegraean Fields, also known as Campi Flegrei, , is a large wide caldera situated to the west of Naples, Italy. It was declared a regional park in 2003. Lying mostly underwater, the area comprises 24 craters and volcanic edifices. Hydrothermal activity can be observed at Lucrino, Agnano and...
and, then, the town of Pozzuoli
Pozzuoli
Pozzuoli is a city and comune of the province of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean peninsula.-History:Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of Dicaearchia...
along the road known as the via Domiziana
Via Domiziana
Via Domitiana in the Campania region of Italy was a major Roman road built under and named for the emperor, Domitian, to facilitate access to and from the important ports of Puteoli and Portus Julius in the Gulf of Naples...
. The tunnel is over 700 meters long. The eastern entrance (that is, on the Naples side) is in the part of Naples known as Piedigrotta
Piedigrotta
Piedigrotta Literally, "at the foot of the grotto". A section of the Mergellina quarter of Naples, Italy, so-called for the presence of the Church of the Madonna of Piedigrotta near the entrance to an ancient Roman tunnel...
("at the foot of the grotta"); the western end is in the area now called Fuorigrotta
Fuorigrotta
Fuorigrotta is a western suburb of Naples, southern Italy.-Geography:It lies beyond the Posillipo hill and has been joined to the main body of Naples by two traffic tunnels through that hill since the early 20th century....
("outside the grotta"). The Piedigrotta entrance is now enclosed within an archaeological park. The site is also noteworthy for the presence of the so-called Virgil's tomb
Virgil's tomb
Virgil's tomb is a Roman burial vault dating back to the Augustan age, located in Naples, southern Italy. It is found at the entrance to the old Roman tunnel known as the grotta vecchia or cripta napoletana in the Parco Virgiliano in the Piedigrotta district of the city.Virgil's tomb is located on...
, as well as the tomb of the Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi
Giacomo Leopardi
Giacomo Taldegardo Francesco di Sales Saverio Pietro Leopardi was an Italian poet, essayist, philosopher, and philologist...
.
History
According to medieval legend, the tunnel was built by VirgilVirgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
in a single night! In fact it was built under the direction of the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
architect Lucius Cocceius Auctus
Cocceius Auctus
Lucius Cocceius Auctus was a Roman architect employed by Octavian's strategist Agrippa to excavate the subterranean passageways the crypta neapolitana connecting modern-day Naples and Pozzuoli and the Grotta di Cocceio connecting Lake Avernus and Cumae...
during the civil war between Octavian
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
and Sextus Pompeius
Sextus Pompeius
Sextus Pompeius Magnus Pius, in English Sextus Pompey , was a Roman general from the late Republic . He was the last focus of opposition to the Second Triumvirate...
ca.37 BCE. The tunnel is one of a number of such works in the Naples area built by Cocceius.
The tunnel was still in active use as late as the 19th century and shows extensive restoration done by the architects of the Bourbon dynasty of Naples of that period. It was superseded by two modern tunnels in the early 20th century. Today, it is under restoration as an archaeological site.