The thunder and moaning of the earth as begin to bubble and roll. A haze of dim debris that spreads any place the breeze takes it. Splendid, and hot molten rock streaming down the slope.

These are just a few of the markers that explain a volcanic event, and none are larger than the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This is in remembrance of that very location, and the destruction that has been caused by Mount Vesuvius.

Learn about Vesuvius Day

Vesuvius Day pays tribute to the day that this eruption happened. The inhabitants of the area had been used to a number of small earth tremors in the region. Pliny the Younger, a writer, wrote the following about them:

“They were not particularly alarming because they are frequent in Campania.”

Since 217, the first major earthquake happened in 62AD. This resulted in there being destruction across the Bay of Naples, especially Pompeii. When the volcano had erupted, some of the damage had still not been prepared.

A lot of people lost their lives on this date, and so it is only right that we pay tribute to them. Aside from Pliny the Elder, there were only a few other casualties that were known by name. This included Drusilla, the Jewish princess, and Agrippa, her son. It is also believed that Caesius Bassus, a poet, died in the eruption as well.

Although not a lot of people were known by name, by 2003, roughly 1,044 casts were made from body impressions in the deposits of ash that had been covered from Pompeii and the surrounding areas, as well as the scattered bones of roughly another 100.

History of Vesuvius Day

The Mount of Vesuvius is most widely known for its eruption in 79 A.D. It was this very eruption that killed over a thousand souls and destroyed the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and a number of other, smaller settlements. Mount Vesuvius has erupted many times since, being regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world due to the large population living nearby.

Being just 9 km from Naples, it is that very region is perhaps the most profoundly populated volcanic region in the world, being home to more than 3,000,000 individuals. The propensity towards unstable, or Plinian, ejections additionally factors into that title.  The huge cone at the top, or culmination, was shaped by the breakdown of a prior mountain structure, initially a lot higher than the culmination is present. This, alongside Mount Vesuvius’ dynamic status as a well of lava, makes it a perilous, if the wonderful, site to be near.

Strange Facts about Mount Vesuvius

• Mount Vesuvius makes delicious food as the volcanic soil is rich in minerals ensuring the fertile soil is especially conducive to the growth of vineyards and a variety of tomatoes.
• Mount Vesuvius is still active and ready to explode anytime according to geologists and as predicted impacts around 3 million people.
• Mount Vesuvius is 17000 years old today!