SOMMA VESUVIANA

'Somma Vesuviana' is a town in the province of Napoli, Campania, Italy.

Contents

History

Main sights

History

Before the Roman colonization, the area of today's Somma Vesuviana was probably inhabiteed by Italics populations like Samnites and Oscans. Later it became a vacation place for the rich patricians of Rome, who built here magnificent villas. A villa of emperor Augustus was discovered in the 1930s in the ''frazione'' of Starza della Regina, where he probably passed his last days of life. The villa was probably buried during the eruption of Vesuvius of 79 CE.

Main sights

★ The ancient quarter of Casamale has noteworthy walls of Aragonese times.

★ The 'Collegiata'.

★ Church of 'San Domenico'.

★ Church of 'Santa Maria del Pozzo' (15th century). Its cloister is home to a museum of the peasant culture of the area.