Solfatara is a shallow volcanic crater at Pozzuoli, near Naples. It is a dormant volcano, which still emits jets of steam with sulphurous fumes.

The name comes from the Latin, Sulfa Terra, ’land of sulphur’ or “sulphur earth”. It was formed around 4000 years ago and last erupted in 1198 with what was probably a phreatic eruption - an explosive steam-driven eruption caused when groundwater interacts with magma.

Map: Solfatara Vulcano
Map: Solfatara Vulcano