ANCIENT TUNNELS
BENEATH NAPLES
G'day folks,
A labyrinth of ancient
tunnels hidden below the city holds the ruins of 2,500 years of history. Underneath the ancient
city of Naples lies a vast geothermal zone composed of tuff, a volcanic rock.
Over the last two-and-a-half millennia, extensive caves and tunnels have
been carved out of the tuff, forming a shadow city obscured below the
ground.
The 280-mile (450-kilometer) subterranean
network was formed by the Greeks in the 4th century BCE in order to build what
was then named Neapolis, or “New City.” The Romans later used the chambers and
pathways to build aqueducts that provided water for many centuries of
Neapolitans. As the centuries passed, buildings where constructed on top of
previous ancient infrastructure, and the the remains of these structures are
were hidden deep below the city.
Today, Napoli Sotterranea (Naples Underground)
offers a chance to explore this Italian city from a different point of view.
Down a long case descending some 120 feet (40 meters) below the earth,
aqueducts, sewer tunnels, rainwater cisterns, caverns, catacombs, and
pre-Christian hypogea can be found in the tuffaceous cavities, along
with roadway and rail tunnels. Some caves that were part of the
reservoir are still full of water today. One highlight of the subterranean
network is the remains of the Greco-Roman theatre of Neapolis, where the
Roman emperor Nero also had his private dressing room.
Many years later, the underground network was
used as an air raid shelter during the Second World War, and you can still see
forgotten war relics such as weapons and vehicles in the tunnels. More
recently, the first Hypogeum Gardens in the world can be found, an
experiment to grow various species of plants far from pollution, but also light, in
the dark chambers underneath the city.
Some tunnels are very narrow and it is
necessary to use a candle to see, for this reason some passages of the route
are optional.
Clancy's comment: Mm ... Sounds interesting.
I'm ....
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