Phlegrean Fields and their legends

Phlegrean Fields and their legends

The Phlegraean Fields are known all over the world for their beauty characterized by spectacular landscapes and wonderful coasts. In addition to the natural wonders, the Phlegraean Fields boast a rich cultural heritage from the pens of great Roman writers and in particular from the legends handed down from century to century by the people who live there. Let's find out together some myths that characterize the Phlegraean Fields.

The gigantomachy: a land of giants and volcanoes

The Phlegraean Fields were in a first moment occupied by the Greeks, who created a lot of legends about the Neapolitan lands. In particular, the myth of the giants and their battle against the Olympians is worth to be mentioned. Defined as a gigantomachy, this epic battle has as its prologue in the construction, by the giants, of a very high structure built by placing three mountains one on top of the other. By climbing this "tower", the giants approached Olympus and started a long battle by throwing fire tongues and huge boulders against the kingdom of the Greek gods.

According to the legend, the protagonists of the battle are Zeus and his son Hercules, who finally manage to defeat the giants and imprison them underground. Through this legend it is even possible to justify the volcanic activity of the Phlegraean Fields by associating it with the wrath of the giants relegated under the huge volcano, the most powerful in Europe, which is still active but in a state of rest. The last eruption of the Phlegraean Fields was 40,000 years ago and the violence of the event is the probable cause at the origins of the legend of the giants.

Lucrino lake and the dolphin Simone

Among the numerous legends set in the Phlegraean Fields, there is also the one of Simone the dolphin. Passed down to the present day by various writings, including one by Pliny the Elder, the story finds its place in Lake Lucrino: before the eruption of Montenuovo this lake was much larger. The story tells of a child who makes a strong friendship with a dolphin who lives in the waters of Lucrino Lake. The relationship between the two becomes very close and every day the boy heads to school in Pozzuoli astride the dolphin, which he called Simone. One day the boy dies and the dolphin Simone shows up every day at the point where they used to leave for Pozzuoli. The sadness in noting the absence of the child will lead to Simon's death, out of melancholy.

These are just some of the legends of the Phlegraean Fields. Do you want to discover them up close? Contact us and discover them by your eyes through a breathtaking tour!

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