Time Bomb
Although vines have been grown in this region for centuries, it’s a sobering thought that Cantina del Vesuvio vineyard [see previous photos], like so many others in the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius, is living on borrowed time. It’s not a case of if, but a case of when – quite soon, relatively speaking, the volcano will explosively erupt destroying everything for miles around. And yet business goes on, investment is made, and so are plans for the future; nobody can be certain when the mountain will erupt. The experts say probably within 10 years, the locals say “who knows, maybe 200 years, maybe never, what will be, will be”. And they carry on with their lives. I would find it difficult to invest time and money in such a precarious future. How is it that the Italians can ignore the threat?
Approximately 3 million people live within 20 miles of Vesuvius’ crater. The volcano is currently dormant and has been since 1944 when a five day long eruption partially destroyed a couple of small villages on the western slopes of the volcano and emitted smoke and gas high into the atmosphere. But this was a lava-flow type eruption, rather than an ‘explosive’ Plinian type that destroyed Herculaneum and Pompeii in 79AD.
It seems that many people don’t even think about the danger, preferring to push it out of their minds. Others are aware of the danger but accept that there is little that they can do to prevent or control the volcano’s activity and therefore choose to concentrate their energy on other aspects of their lives such as family or work, rather than worrying about what may never happen in their lifetime. A few people are in denial, insisting that they don’t live close enough to be in danger, or that the volcano will not erupt anyway...
Most people here don’t worry about Vesuvius erupting, don’t even think about it in their daily lives, would even be surprised that you would think it odd that they don’t – to them, living near Vesuvius is completely normal. No doubt the Romans thought similarly…..
Time Bomb
Although vines have been grown in this region for centuries, it’s a sobering thought that Cantina del Vesuvio vineyard [see previous photos], like so many others in the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius, is living on borrowed time. It’s not a case of if, but a case of when – quite soon, relatively speaking, the volcano will explosively erupt destroying everything for miles around. And yet business goes on, investment is made, and so are plans for the future; nobody can be certain when the mountain will erupt. The experts say probably within 10 years, the locals say “who knows, maybe 200 years, maybe never, what will be, will be”. And they carry on with their lives. I would find it difficult to invest time and money in such a precarious future. How is it that the Italians can ignore the threat?
Approximately 3 million people live within 20 miles of Vesuvius’ crater. The volcano is currently dormant and has been since 1944 when a five day long eruption partially destroyed a couple of small villages on the western slopes of the volcano and emitted smoke and gas high into the atmosphere. But this was a lava-flow type eruption, rather than an ‘explosive’ Plinian type that destroyed Herculaneum and Pompeii in 79AD.
It seems that many people don’t even think about the danger, preferring to push it out of their minds. Others are aware of the danger but accept that there is little that they can do to prevent or control the volcano’s activity and therefore choose to concentrate their energy on other aspects of their lives such as family or work, rather than worrying about what may never happen in their lifetime. A few people are in denial, insisting that they don’t live close enough to be in danger, or that the volcano will not erupt anyway...
Most people here don’t worry about Vesuvius erupting, don’t even think about it in their daily lives, would even be surprised that you would think it odd that they don’t – to them, living near Vesuvius is completely normal. No doubt the Romans thought similarly…..