Mount Vesuvius Eruptions From Ancient Times to Modern Day

When it comes to volcanoes, few are more famous than Mount Vesuvius in Campania. Its striking position in the Bay of Naples overlooking the city of Napoli and the wider region, makes Vesuvius the defining symbol of Campania.

There there is the history of Vesuvius, and in particular the eruption in which Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed in 79 CE, which makes this volcano fascinating to anyone interested in the majesty of nature and Italy’s past.

We are asked questions about the volcano almost daily, which range from ‘is it safe to visit Vesuvius?’ to ‘when will the next eruption of Mt Vesuvius be?’. Being a major attraction for anyone coming to this part of Italy, we feel it is important all visitors coming here understand more about what locals refer to as ‘The Boss’.

In this guide I’ll cover:

• A brief introduction to Mount Vesuvius
• Is Vesuvius an active volcano?
• Is Mt Vesuvius erupting right now?
• When will Vesuvius erupt next?
• Famous and notable eruptions of Mount Vesuvius
• Visiting Mount Vesuvius safely

Mount Vesuvius is a volcano located in the Campania region of southern Italy, around 15km from the city of Naples.

It is classed as a stratovolcano or composite volcano, with the peak of the mountain currently standing at 1281m above sea level.

The volcano is locally (within Naples and Campania) referred to as the ‘The Boss’. Neapolitans and Campanians consider Vesuvius to be in charge of their fate, and respect it hugely therefore. Historical Mount Vesuvius eruptions have killed thousands of people in this part of southern Italy and displaced thousands more, but also provided the land with incredibly fertile soil through the depositing of rich minerals.

This natural bounty in turn means Campanian produce is among some of the most flavoursome in Italy, rivalled only by Sicilian (in my opinion) with examples being the world-renowned San Marzano tomatoes and Sorrento lemons that grow here.

The short answer to this is ‘Yes’. While there has not been a significant eruption since 1944, Vesuvius is categorised as an active volcano, and it’s not uncommon for those visiting the crater to see signs of activity.

As of this moment, Vesuvius is not erupting. But, as mentioned previously, there are frequent demonstrations of volcanic activity from the crater which can be observed when visiting and from afar.

In the event of an eruption this page will be updated and we will likely share any important news via our newsletter and social media channels.

You can also check out the official website of the Vesuvius Observatory, the Vesuvius National Park website and the Italian government’s department of civil protection site for more details on the current Mount Vesuvius eruption status and what to do in the event of increased activity.

Predicting volcanic eruption is not straightforward, and the experts monitor a huge range of data points to try and predict when The Boss might next awaken. If you visit the crater of Vesuvius, it is possible to see various pieces of equipment recording tremors in the volcano, as well as the frequent emissions of gas.

It is commonly agreed that a major eruption is overdue based on Vesuvius’ history and previous frequency of eruptions. With this in mind, no expense is spared in monitoring the volcano, and should the experts believe that an eruption is imminent, this will be communicated via official channels first to Naples and Campania, then across Italy, before the wider world.

We have complete faith in the experts who are watching Vesuvius, and we are signed up to alerts from them ourselves. This means we will share any developments in the event of an eruption via our newsletter and social media channels.

Over the centuries and millennia there have been no shortage of Vesuvius eruptions, but some dates are more notable than others. Let’s look at the key dates and events in the history of Mount Vesuvius:

1944 Eruption

This eruption, often referred to as the ‘World War II eruption’, officially began in 1906 when Vesuvius emitted the largest volume of lava recorded during an eruption to-date. The activity continued on and off for nearly 40 years, impacting multiple people during the period. The 1908 Olympics that were due to be held in Rome had to be moved to London because the Italian state had to divert the resources to help those affected by the eruption.

The eruptive period continued until March 1944, where in the midst of World War II the volcano erupted violently. Lava flows spilled from the crater, destroying multiple villages and damaging US Air Force planes stationed nearby during the liberation of Italy.

During this period of volcanic activity the funicular cable car that previously carried visitors from the base of the volcano directly to the crater was severely damaged. This cable car was never rebuilt, where it was deemed too much of a risk of in the event of a future eruption.

This was the last major eruption of Mt Vesuvius, and interestingly coincided with one of the few times in recent history that the blood of San Gennaro failed to liquefy.

1631 Eruption

In the centuries leading up to this eruption Vesuvius had been largely inactive, with only a handful of sources mentioning minor levels of activity such as small landslides.

This period of inactivity meant that the slopes of Vesuvius were heavily forested by the 1600’s with an abundance of fauna and flora. Accounts from the time even mention that there were small lakes in the crater that local herders would use to graze their flocks.

The contrast of the preceding peaceful centuries and the violence of the eruption of the volcano during 1631 demonstrated not only to locals, but the wider world, that Vesuvius was very much still active nearly 1600 years after the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

This eruption of Vesuvius is particularly notable for the fact that it is tied to the history of Naples’ major patron saint, San Gennaro. It is said that the lava flows from Vesuvius were approaching Naples and that the people of the city believed only the saint could protect them from destruction.

San Gennaro’s blood was taken to the city gate that faced Vesuvius, where it miraculously liquefied and then even more miraculously, the lava flows stopped before reaching the city, saving Naples from disaster.

This famous event is now celebrated annually on December 16, as one of the three ‘Miracle of the Blood’ ceremonies at the Naples Duomo.

The 1631 eruption led to a huge interest in volcanoes within the European scientific community, marking the first time that concerted efforts were made to understand what caused volcanic eruptions. Up to this point people believed that volcanoes erupted at the will of gods, principally Vulcan (from whom volcanoes are named after) during ancient Roman times, who were showing their displeasure at something and then later the Christian God.

We have numerous paintings, descriptions, collections of rocks from lava flows, volcanic ash and more from this period, all of which have subsequently shaped volcanic studies.

79 Eruption

This is the most famous date in the history of Mount Vesuvius and its eruptions. It was this natural disaster that saw Vesuvius erupt with such force that a huge chunk of the mountain was blown off, along with the destruction of the ancient cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and many other places in the area.

There had been warning signs (with the benefit of hindsight) in the lead up to this fateful event. There had been significant earthquakes in Campania in the decades prior. In fact, large parts of Pompeii had been destroyed by an earthquake only a few years earlier, and much of it was under reconstruction when Vesuvius blew in 79.

There is a common perception that this eruption saw the almost instant destruction of the immediate area, but this wasn’t the case. Much of what was buried in Pompeii was slowly buried over the course of 24 hours, a period that saw volcanic material which had been blown into the sky fall back to ground.

The exceptions to this were places like Herculaneum which were buried by fast-moving pyroclastic flows and surges – extremely hot trails of ash and other material that are ejected from volcanoes as pressure is released. These arrived in Herculaneum on the second day of the eruption, catching residents off-guard (those who hadn’t fled after seeing the eruption begin the day prior), with much of the town being buried and/or incinerated almost instantaneously.

One of the best sources we have for the 79 CE eruption of Mt Vesuvius are two letters written by Pliny the Younger to the historian Tacitus. In them, the younger Pliny described watching the eruption from across the Bay of Naples and how his uncle, Pliny the Elder, sailed toward the volcano to investigate and help those in danger. His account is the earliest known eyewitness record of a volcanic eruption.

Historically, most sources believed that the eruption occurred in August of 79 CE. Recent theories however suggest the most likely date could have been in October or November of that year, based on new archaeological evidence. The August date has been disputed following the discovery of charcoal graffiti in Pompeii dated later in the year, as well as coinage for the Roman empire that was most likely minted after August and evidence of the harvest having taken place already.

Regardless of when it happened, this catastrophic event caused untold damage to the immediate area, and had repercussions beyond Campania, impacting the wider Roman world.

Is it safe to visit Mount Vesuvius?

I wish I had a euro/pound/dollar for every time we are asked this! In short, yes, it is completely safe if you use common sense and follow all the official guidance when you visit.

At this time, Mount Vesuvius remains available to visit for those wanting to get up close and personal with an active volcano, but the situation is assessed daily and access to the slopes and/or crater may be restricted at short notice because of adverse weather or volcanic activity.

There are many ways to visit Vesuvius (all of which we detail in this specific guide), but regardless of how you visit, there are three fundamental things to consider to ensure your safety, well being and enjoyment:

• Before visiting, and even on the day of your planned visit, be sure to check the status of the volcano via the official website here. In the event of potentially dangerous volcanic activity or weather conditions, this is your go-to reference.
• Always follow the signage closely in the Vesuvius National Park, and especially at the crater. Never forget this is an active volcano, so fences, paths and signs have been put in place to protect you from any potential hazards.

• The paths up to the crater can be steep, uneven, and loose underfoot with volcanic material including pumice and volcanic ash. Sensible footwear is essential to avoid accidents and discomfort – you won’t believe how many times we have seen people trying to get to the crater wearing flip flops! The nature of the paths also makes visiting with a buggy/pram, or a wheelchair, very challenging.

For complete and detailed information about visiting Mount Vesuvius, refer to our dedicated guides here: