Atrio del Cavallo, Vesuvius

Neapel · Italia · Natural site

A wicked monk adjured the volcano. Out of the crater came a horse with flames for eyes and snakes for a mane, and it ran him down.

The saddle between the cone of Vesuvius and the old crater rim of Monte Somma is a grey sea of ash that walkers cross on the way to the summit. The place is called Atrio del Cavallo, the horse's forecourt, and in local usage its full name is Atrio del Cavallo e del Monaco, of the horse and the monk. The legend explains both halves. A monk with evil intent came up here and adjured the mountain to grant a malicious wish. The volcano answered with a column of fire, and out of the crater came a horse with flames for eyes and snakes instead of a mane. It chased the monk across the ash, and where it struck its hoof the ground opened and took him. In Christian iconography Vesuvius was the mouth of hell and the devil's dwelling, and in Neapolitan legend the mountain is a judge that rewards and punishes.

FAQ

Hvor ligger Atrio del Cavallo, Vesuvius?

Atrio del Cavallo, Vesuvius ligger i Neapel, Italia.