Parco Virgiliano

Parco Virgiliano occupies a seaward spur of Posillipo in Naples, where a series of terraces overlooks the Bay of Naples and the Phlegraean coast. Its views encompass Nisida, Capri, Ischia, Procida and Vesuvius.

Why it matters

The park provides a broad view of the geography around the Bay of Naples, from the volcanic landscape of the Campi Flegrei to the Sorrentine peninsula. Created as a commemorative landscape in the early twentieth century, it also reflects the period's public parks and memorial gardens.

What to notice

Terraces step down the tufa cliff, each opening onto a different stretch of coast and islands. The vegetation combines Mediterranean maquis, holm oaks, olives, myrtle and rosemary with umbrella pines. A rock-cut amphitheatre on the Trentaremi side adds an architectural feature to the seaward landscape.

Context and history

The park developed as a memorial landscape in the early twentieth century and later took the name Virgiliano in honour of the poet Virgil, whose life and writing are associated with the Bay of Naples. A concert cavea was carved into the rock in 1975. The park is distinct from the Vergiliano park at Piedigrotta, where Virgil's tomb is located.