Parco regionale dei Campi Flegrei

The Phlegraean Fields Regional Park protects a 7,350-hectare landscape west of Naples, where volcanic terrain, lakes, coastline and long-settled towns occupy an active caldera. Established within Campania's regional protected-area framework in 1993, it brings natural, archaeological and cultural landscapes into a single protected territory.

Why it matters

The park encompasses the crater of Monte Nuovo, the lakes of Averno and Fusaro, fumarole fields and coastal headlands associated with the Roman ports. Its territory is both urban and volcanic: natural features and archaeological remains exist alongside roads, settlements and modern development. The park authority's stated aims include safeguarding landscape, environmental and agricultural values and biodiversity while improving local communities' living conditions.

What to notice

Volcanic landforms shape the park, from Monte Nuovo's cone beside Lake Averno to fumaroles at Solfatara and Pisciarelli. The lakes and coastline add other layers: Averno and Fusaro are bordered by Roman remains, while Capo Miseno overlooks the submerged port landscape of Baia. The park's “itinerari flegrei” connect craters, shores and promontories as parts of this wider natural and cultural territory.

Context and history

The caldera formed through the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption about 40,000 years ago and the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff eruption about 15,000 years ago. Its most recent eruption, in 1538, formed Monte Nuovo. Human settlement followed the volcanic history, from Greek Cumae to the Roman fleet at Misenum and the thermal town of Baiae.

Bradyseism has repeatedly altered the ground. Major crises occurred in 1969–72 and 1982–84; slow uplift has continued since 2005. The protected area dates to 1993, while the Ente Parco was instituted by regional decree in November 2003. Its statute, approved in 2007, combines protection of natural, agricultural, landscape and environmental values with biodiversity and community life.