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Vesuvius
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Ruins of ancient Pompeii with stone arches and columns, a large grassy area in front, and Mount Vesuvius rising in the background.
Discover the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, buried in volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted
Mount Vesuvius Herculaneum Map depicting the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius near the Bay of Naples in Italy. The shaded gray area shows the extent of the volcanic smoke plume, covering cities such as Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Stabiae, which are marked with red dots to indicate they were destroyed. The map includes surrounding locations like Neapolis, Misenum, and Salernum, as well as the islands of Ischia and Capri. An inset shows the region's location within Italy.
Magma streaming down a volcano.
Watch buildings crumble during the volcanic eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius in 1944
excavations near Mount Vesuvius
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Ruins of ancient Pompeii with stone arches and columns, a large grassy area in front, and Mount Vesuvius rising in the background.
Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii Mount Vesuvius rising above the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii.

Vesuvius

volcano, Italy
Also known as: Mount Vesuvius, Vesuvio
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

Vesuvius, active volcano that rises above the Bay of Naples on the plain of Campania in southern Italy. Its western base rests almost upon the bay. The height of the cone in 2013 was 4,203 feet (1,281 metres), but it varies considerably after each major eruption. At about 1,968 feet (about 600 metres), a high semicircular ridge, called Mount Somma, begins, girding the cone on the north and rising to 3,714 feet (1,132 metres). Between...

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