CAMPI FLEGREI

IN 1632, WHEN IT WAS ONLY A YEAR SINCE VESUVIUS HAD TAKEN UP IT’S EXPLOSIVE ERUPTIONS AGAIN  AFTER CENTURIES OF LETHARGY, A FRENCH TRAVELLER OF EXTRAORDINARY SESITIVITY, JEAN-JACQUES BOUCHARD, WHILE HE WAS LOOKING OUT FROM  THE TOP OF THE  CAMALDOLI HILL DOWN TO THE  SURROUNDING INTRICATE  LAND BELOW– LAKES, HILLS, CRATERS, BEACHES AND FUMAROLES – NOTED THAT THE AREA OF EIGHT OR NINE MILES WAS TRUELY AN ENCHANTING SIGHT << SE PEUT DIRE QUE DANS LE PETIT ESPACE  LA EST COMPRES ET REN FERME TOUT CE QUE L’EUROPE A DE  PLUS MIRACULEUS ET DE  PLUS MAGNIFIQUE , TANT POUR LES CHOSE NATURELLES , QUE POUR LES ARTIFICIELES >>. SINCE ANCIENT TIMES THIS SMALL AREA HAS BEEN KNOWN AS CAMPI  FLEGREI. THE  REGION OF FIRE, DERIVING FROM <<FUEGO >> ( TO BURN ) THAT MUCH  BETTER DESCRIBES THE HERMENEUTICAL  FEROCITY  THAN THE  DAZZLING  SIBYL OF CUMA,  A LAND OF SECRETS FOR THE LIVING, SACRED, INVIOLABLE , IMPOSSIBLE TO DEFINE, OR THE AVERNO LAKE , SACRED TO THE DIVINITIES OF DEATH, EVEN TODAY USES IT’S INPENETRABLE DEFENCE  OF  THICKETS AND RUBBISH ACCUMULATED BY OUR BLASPHEMOUS MODERN TIMES IN ORDER TO REMAIN A MYSTERY. MANY OTHER LOCALITIES HAVING THE SAME  MYTHIC DIMENSIONS, TODAY REMAIN ONLY A MEMORY : THE << DOG’S CAVE >> ON THE EDGE OF THE AVERNO LAKE AND THE LAKE ALSO, DRAINED TO MAKE WAY FOR  HORSES AND BETTING, << THE  << CALIGOLA BRIDGE >> BURIED UNDER CEMENT USED  TO BUILD THE PORT OF POZZUOLI, THE VILLAS IN BAIA RESUCKED BACK  INTO THE SEA, THE VILLAGE OF TRIPERGOLA  WHICH WAS COVERED BY A MOUNTAIN – MONTE NUOVO – ON THE NIGHT OF 29 th SEPTEMBER 1538 WHEN IT SUDDENLY  APPEARED  FROM THE SECRET BOWELS OF THE EARTH , SIMILAR TO  AN ISLAND WHEN IT RISES  OUT OF THE SEA, PUSHED UP FROM THEIR DEPTHS  CREATED BY FIRE AND MAGMA.

LAND OF MYTHS AND MAJIC, OF ORACLES AND MYSTERY, DECENTS TO HADES AND DEMONIC PRESENCES UNDER ANIMAL FORM, UGLY AND REPUGNANT. WINDS SMELLING OF SULPHER AND EXHAUSTING FRAGRANCES IN THE NYMPH WOODS, SACRED FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF VENUS, BUT  ONLY INTOXICATION AND OBLIVION FROM THE FRUIT OF THE VINE AT THE OUTER EDGE OF THE WATERS WHERE THE NYMPHS LIVED,  FACTS WELL KNOWN TO SENECA AND BOCCACCIO. THE STORY  COULD CONTINUE  BUT MANICHEE ARGUEMENTS, SIGNS OF SWEETNESS AND CRUELTY, GOOD AND BAD ARE NOT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION OTHER THAN TO GIVE VOICE TO A  PIECE OF WORK WHICH TRIES TO GUIDE THE READER WITH  NOTES AND IMAGES  IN THE MORE OR LESS SECRET ROOMS VISITED IN THIS FRIENDLY SHOP OF << ANTIQUES AND CURIOS >>, TO USE ONCE AGAIN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY  DOUBLE-NAME THAT INDICATES THE WONDERS OF NATURE  AND THE INCREDIBLE SIGNS LEFT  BY MAN ALSO IN THE THIRTY CENTURIES PASSED IN THIS LAND OF FIRE.

CAMPI FLEGREI REPRESENTS A PUBLICATION OF A STRONG SOCIAL COMMITMENT BY THE PUBLISHERS, PRINTED IN THE SAME GRAPHIC OUTLAY  USED  FOR THE “VESUVIUS”  VOLUME EDITED BY ATANASIO MOZZILLO, AND THE “NAPLES OF ANCIENT TIMES”  EDITED BY  RAFFAELE D’AMBRA. THESE ARE TO BE CONSIDERED WORKS OF ART FOR THE ENORMOUS BUT CAREFULLY SELECTED AMOUNT OF REPRODUCTIONS CONTAINED, BOTH COLOURED AND BLACK AND WHITE; BUT  ALSO BECAUSE  BASED ON SOLID SCIENTIFIC  INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY PRESTIGIOUS EXPERTS AND A  PROVEN PROFESSIONALISM THAT CONSENTS  THE VOLUME TO BE APPRECIATED BY  EVEN THOSE  WHO ARE  NOT COMPETENT ON THE SUBJECT. IT IS FOR THESE REASONS THAT CAMPI FLEGREI WAS GIVEN TO GIANCARLO ALISIO TO EDIT, HE BEING A REGULAR TEACHER  OF THE HISTORY OF ARCHIECTURE AT THE NEAPOLITAN UNIVERSITY  “FEDERICO II””. THE “AMOUR-PASSION” THAT ALISIO HAS ALWAYS HAD FOR NAPLES SUPPORTS THE STRICT DISCIPLINE HE USES FOR METHOD AND RESEARCH . HE  GIVES TO HIS PAGES , AND TO THOSE OF HIS ASSISTANTS TOO, WHOM HE  PERSONALLY CHOSE , A CAPACITY FOR COMMUNICATION AND IMPLICATION EQUAL IF NOT SUPERIOR TO THE IMAGES  WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE  VOLUME.

GEOLOGY, VOLCANOLOGY, MYTHOLOGY, ARCHEOLOGY, HISTORY, LITERATURE AND POETRY, GUIDE, TRAVELLERS AND ICONOGRAPHY