Mount Vesuvius (in
Italian Monte Vesuvio and in
Latin Mons Vesuvius) is an
active stratovolcano east of
Naples, Italy. It is the only
volcano on the
European mainland to have erupted within the
last hundred years, although it is not currently
erupting. The two other
volcanoes in Italy, (
Etna and
Stromboli) are located on
islands.
Mount Vesuvius is on the coast of the Bay of Naples, about nine kilometres (six miles) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is conspicuous in the beautiful landscape presented by that bay, when seen from the sea, with Naples in the foreground. Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. It has erupted many times since and is today regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000&_160;people now living close to it and its tendency towards explosive eruptions. It is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world.
Mount Vesuvius was regarded by the Greeks and Romans as being sacred to the hero and demigod Heracles/Hercules and the town of Herculaneum, built at its base, was named after him.
Some of the theories about the origin of the name Vesuvius include
