If you think modern hedonism is something exceptional, you should take a look at what is emerging from Lake Fusaro. It is not a metaphor: they are real Roman walls that have literally re-emerged from the water thanks to a geological quirk. The bradyseism, this volcanic phenomenon that makes the ground rise and fall like a slow breathing of the earth (and keeps me awake at night, since I live in the Campi Flegrei), has brought to light what the poet Sextus Propertius he defined it as “a vortex of luxury and a haven of vice”.
Yes, you understood correctly: not just any villa, but probably a resort dedicated to the most diverse pleasures of the Roman elite. Fusaro lake, one of the five bodies of water of the Campi Flegrei, is literally spitting out the sins of antiquity.
When the Earth Lifts the Veils of History
A geological phenomenon has given rise to something extraordinary: a Roman-era complex re-emerged from the waters of Lake Fusaro. Josi Gerardo Della Ragione, mayor of Bacoli, recently announced on social media the discovery of ancient walls in the waters of the lake, not far from Naples.
I Campi Flegrei, you know, are located inside a collapsed caldera: a volcanic area made up of several volcanic edifices, which includes the Solfatara volcano, known for its fumaroles (vents that emit hot volcanic gases and vapors). It sounds like a “Mad Max” setting, but it is the everyday reality of this area. The Earth's surface is rising due to the flow of magma or hydrothermal fluids, a phenomenon known as bradyseism. Such a fancy name for something that, in practical terms, this means that the ground beneath our feet is swelling like a soufflé.
“They were under water! Walls and rooms from the Roman era discovered in Lake Fusaro. Perhaps they belonged to a sumptuous villa,” said Josi Gerardo Della Ragione. There is a palpable excitement in his words, and who can blame him? It is not every day that a lake decides to give you back a piece of Roman history.
Naples: where myth and volcanoes intertwine
The city of Naples, in southern Italy, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world; it was originally Greek. It even dates back to the myth of Parthenope, the siren who tried to lure Ulysses in Homer's Odyssey. With such an ancient history, it is almost mythological; those familiar with Naples will recall that the ancient city is located on the volcanically active and eruptive Campi Flegrei.
The most famous is the supervolcano Vesuvio which devastated Pompei, although some Neapolitans would put it differently: the volcano has given the city a sort of eternal life. It's a bit of our Neapolitan philosophy: instead of fearing the volcano as a destroyer, see it as a preserver, as a force that crystallizes a moment in time. It's poetic, in a certain sense macabre. And all in all, also a little reckless.
North of the city, Lake Fusaro is experiencing geological shifts due to the active and volatile activity that is taking place underground. It is a small hell, a swamp of sulfur gases. And, for the philosophy above, also a “preserver” of Roman antiquities.
Bradyseism: The Geological Architect Who Rewrites the Landscape
Since 2005, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology has reported a remarkable rapid rise of up to 1,4 meters in the land mass. In simple terms, the seabed is rising and the coastline is retreating, damaging ports. It is as if the earth is taking a long, deep breath, puffing out its chest after centuries of quiet.
At least there is one piece of good news, and that is the discovery of this Roman villa. As mentioned, it is not just any villa. The ancient Roman city of Bacoli was a popular holiday resort. Naples is known for its caves along the coast, where the Romans would relax and spend their holidays, as he explains Anatolian Archaeology.
But not on Lake Fusaro. That camp was known for its “hedonistic lifestyle”, described by the poet Sextus Propertius as “a whirlpool of luxury and a haven of vice.” Not exactly the kind of place you’d put in a tourist brochure to show your grandmother, but certainly the kind that attracted the Roman elite looking for forbidden fun outside the rigid social conventions of the City.
In Lake Fusaro a spicy resort from the past
When the first colonies settled in the 7th century BC, the Greeks called the area “the burning fields” or Campi Flegrei. They were located not only on a volcano but over an entire volcanic region. A curious choice for settling, you might think, but the advantages outweighed the risks: fertile soil, thermal waters, mild climate.
During the Roman Empire, the Roman elite built villas, or villas, around Lake Fusaro precisely because of its thermal springs and favorable climate. And it seems that, due to the same phenomenon that sank, they are now re-emerging due to an unusual amount of seismic activity. Nature has a sense of humor all its own: it gives to you, takes away, and then, centuries later, gives you back what it took, but with interest in terms of historical value.
In the 18th century, the lake saw a resurgence of royal interest as a hunting and fishing ground for the Bourbon nobility. Now, the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Naples will continue the investigation of this exciting new piece of history, which may have some spicy stories to tell.
The Phlegraean Fields: A Geological Pressure Cooker
"The Roman environments will be the subject of further studies by the Superintendency. They are located not too far from the Grotte dell'Acqua and feature a luxurious villa with thermal environments. Bacoli continues to be full of wonders, promoting cultural tourist tours unique in the world", added Della Ragione.
The mayor (those who know him know that this is one of his distinctive traits) He talks like a child on Christmas morning. And frankly, who can blame him? His city just received a priceless gift from the past.
But there is also a worrying side to this whole story. Bradyseism is not just a curious phenomenon that causes ancient Roman villas to emerge; it is also a sign of underlying volcanic activity. Campi Flegrei is considered one of the most dangerous supervolcanoes in the world, and an eruption could have catastrophic consequences. It's as if we were witnessing the opening of a time capsule, but that capsule is on the lid of a geological pressure cooker.
Lago Fusaro, a window on a “sinful” past
What makes this discovery so exceptional? It is not just the discovery itself, but the context in which it is placed. Lake Fusaro was known in ancient times as a place of pleasure, a resort where the Roman elite could indulge in vices away from the prying eyes of the capital. Have you heard the saying “What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas”? Well, on Lake Fusaro the same thing happened. The villas on the lake were not simple summer residences, but real entertainment centers.
The baths, which appear to be present in the emerged complex, played a fundamental role in Roman social life. They were not just places to wash, but social centers where politics were discussed, business was done and, often, pleasure was indulged. The baths of a private villa on Lake Fusaro could have hosted parties and meetings far removed from the public morality that Rome tried to maintain, at least on the surface.
It is fascinating to think how many secrets might be kept within those walls. What conversations echoed in those rooms? What political intrigues were hatched between a hot bath and a massage? And what pleasures, considered scandalous even by eccentric Roman standards, found refuge in this “haven of vice”?
The future of a resurfaced past
Who knows what will happen now to this villa that emerged from the waters. Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Naples has already announced that it will conduct in-depth studies on the site. But there is a certain urgency in this work. Bradyseism is an unpredictable phenomenon; just as it raised the seabed, causing the villa to emerge, it could lower it again, bringing everything back under water.
There is also the issue of preservation. Structures that have been submerged for centuries can deteriorate rapidly once exposed to the air. Archaeologists will need to work quickly to document, study, and hopefully preserve this extraordinary find.
Mayor Della Ragione sees this discovery as an opportunity for cultural tourism. And he's right: Few places in the world can offer an experience that combines Roman archaeology, volcanic phenomena and breathtaking landscapes. But there is also a huge responsibility in properly managing this heritage.
I wonder if, in a few years, tourists will be able to walk among the walls of this villa that emerged from the lake, imagining the wild parties that were held there two thousand years ago. Or if, capricious as it appeared, this fragment of Roman history will disappear again under the waters of Lake Fusaro, remaining only an ephemeral memory, an anecdote to be told.
Lago Fusaro, a dance between nature and history
The Roman walls that we now see emerging from Lake Fusaro have resisted two thousand years of history, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, wars and revolutions. They remained there, patiently, waiting for bradyseism to bring them back to light. It is a powerful metaphor of how the past is never truly buried, but only waits for the right moment to resurface and remind us where we come from.
And there is an irony in all this. The ancient Romans considered volcanoes to be manifestations of divine wrath, mouths of hell that could erupt at any moment, bringing destruction. And yet, it is precisely a volcanic phenomenon that allows us today to discover how those Romans who feared the gods of the underground lived, loved and had fun.
I like to think that, somewhere in the afterlife, those ancient owners of villas on Lake Fusaro are laughing, pleased that their places of pleasure are coming back to light, ready to tell stories that they thought were buried forever.
