Somma Vesuviana
| Somma Vesuviana | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comune | ||
| Metropolitan City of Naples | ||
 | ||
| ||
  Somma Vesuviana Location of Somma Vesuviana in Italy | ||
| Coordinates: 40°52′21″N 14°26′13″E / 40.87250°N 14.43694°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Campania | |
| Frazioni | Somma, Mercato Vecchio, Casamale, Rione Trieste, Santa Maria del Pozzo, Starza della Regina, San Sossio | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Raffaele Allocca | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 30.74 km2 (11.87 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 165 m (541 ft) | |
| Population (30 September 2011) | ||
| • Total | 35,265 | |
| • Density | 1,100/km2 (3,000/sq mi) | |
| Demonym | Sommesi | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 80049 | |
| Dialing code | 081 | |
| Patron saint | St. Januarius | |
| Saint day | September 19 | |
| Website | Official website | |
Somma Vesuviana is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, southern Italy.
History
Before the Roman colonization, the area of today's Somma Vesuviana was probably inhabited by Italics populations like Samnites and Oscans. Later it became a vacation place for the rich patricians of Rome, who built here magnificent villas. A villa of emperor Augustus was discovered in the 1930s in the frazione of Starza della Regina, where he probably passed his last days of life. The villa was probably buried during the eruption of Vesuvius of 79 CE.
Main sights
- The ancient quarter of Casamale has walls of Aragonese times.
- The Collegiata church
- Church of San Domenico
- Church of Santa Maria del Pozzo (15th century). Its cloister is home to a museum of the peasant culture of the area.