Pozzuoli waterfront: Yalta, Pertini, Via Napoli

About this activity

We can denote as "Waterfront of Pozzuoli" the set of roads comprising the Yalta waterfront, the Pertini Promenade and the beginning of the very long Naples Street.

The Yalta Promenade is the pedestrian sidewalk by the sea, with Lungomare Pertini denoting the two-way street parallel to Lungomare Yalta, but further inland, while Corso Umberto is the rear parallel street affected by the Ztl where there are stores and pubs where one can spend pleasant evenings with friends.

At the Yalta Promenade, the stretch of shoreline that emerged following the bradyseismic crises of 1970 and 1982 is visible.

A typical walk on Via Napoli

The walk usually starts at Giacomo Matteotti Street, there we find the monument to the fallen soldiers of the great war, the church of Jesus and Mary known as St. Vincent Ferrer, built in the first half of the 16th century, often chosen for weddings because of its magnificent view. From the church of St. Vincent Ferrer, through the stairs one arrives at the St. Vincent Walk, pedestrian area from where it is clearly visible the Earth District, less crowded than the rest of the Promenade, so it is suitable for those who like to relax. Walking in the direction of the Pertini Promenade then leads to the area indicated as Via Napoli. Full of clubs, it is one of the centers of the movida where it is possible to be in company while observing the wonderful Gulf of Pozzuoli.

Monument to the Fallen

This monument was built near Porta Napoli to commemorate the puteolan soldiers fallen during World War I.

Characterized by an upper part distributed in three spaces of which the central one supports a large marble plaque bearing the inscription "Strong in life, epic on the alps and the sea. in history eternal, Pozzuoli mother, superb of them and mindful." Two side pediments bear the names of Puteolians who lost their lives in the conflict on May 24, 1915, and November 4, 1918, with below a dagger (a type of prehistoric weapon) topped by a stylized shield where the start and end dates of the war can be read in Roman numerals. Each part of the monument is divided by a fascio littorio (bundle of birch rods tied by leather ribbons) on which we find an axe. At the top of the monument we see two eagles with spread wings holding two shields, one with seven rooster heads symbolizing the city of Pozzuoli and the other with a fascio littorio symbol of the Italian State. The monument almost seems to be born from the waters flowing from the two fountains at the ends decorated by the two Sacred Rivers of the Fatherland represented as sculpted deities lying down and stretched out as if to protect the monument: theIsonzo left, drowsy from the blood spilled in battle, and the Piave right, proudly pointing the way of Victory to the combatants. This structure is considered similar to the Vittoriano in Rome at the ends of which are placed two fountains representing the Adriatic Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea. With the end of fascism some of the shutters were truncated.

Church of Jesus and Mary known as St. Vincent Ferrer

The church was built in 1509 as a convent of the Dominicans of St. Peter with the adjoining Church of Jesus and Mary. In the 1700s it was enlarged and enriched with marble altars, decorative stucco and tiled floors. In 1807 with the suppression of the Dominicans the Church of Jesus and Mary known as St. Vincent Ferrer passed to the diocesan clergy. Later, in 1847, at the behest of Canon Isidoro Di Costanzo the worship of St. Vincent Ferrer, with a majolica triptych dedicated to him placed on the wall facing Corso Matteotti, depicting the Crucifixion in the center, the Apotheosis of St. Vincent Ferrer on the right with a view of Pozzuoli in the background, and Our Lady of the Rosary on the left. In 1949 the church became a parish dedicated to the Holy Rosary and St. Vincent Ferrer. Unfortunately, the building in 1970 and then in 1983-1987 was damaged by the Bradyseism and abandoned. The church is characterized by a very simple exterior facade with a Latin cross plan. The side chapels were built in the second half of the 1700s. The main nave is covered by a barrel vault decorated in stucco with geometric motifs; the decorations of the central dome and the second chapel on the right are also prestigious. Worth seeing are the cartouches (decorative elements) inspired by Baroque architecture placed on the keys of the arches of the chapels.

Mount Olibanum

Behind the Pertini Promenade we find the relief of the Mount Olibanus, known as the "Academy Dome," because there is thePozzuoli Air Force Academy. This mountain, practically devoid of vegetation, was called "Olibanum," a name of Greek derivation, indicating the sterility of the place. Visible from the road is this relief about 150 m high, consisting of hard lava of trachytic composition. It is one of the rare examples of effusive activity in the Phlegraean Fields. In this case there was a slow rise of viscous magma, poor in gas, which, not having the ability to flow, "grew" on itself. Above you can see the lapidary rock with frequent detachment surfaces of large lava blocks.

The trachytic rock of Mount Olibanus has always been widely used as a building material. In Roman times the predominant use was for road paving, and a summit quarry is mentioned by Suetonius. Over the centuries exploitation continued and one of the quarries, the one on the side of the hill towards Pozzuoli, was called "Petriera" and the stone extracted here was called "the stone of Pozzuoli": an expression from which perhaps the toponym of "La Pietra" for the stretch of coast between Pozzuoli and Bagnoli was derived.

Via Napoli, from Pozzuoli to Bagnoli

Via Napoli includes, in the imagination of locals, the Yalta Promenade and the Pertini Promenade, but in reality it runs from the area known as Gerolomini, where are the Puteolan Baths to Piazza Bagnoli where Via Coroglio begins.

Puteolan Baths

Founded in 1930, the Puteolan Baths were a very important historical building in Pozzuoli, which withstood World War I, and bradyseism in the area, and has been renovated several times, most recently in the 1980s, until the Solaio Collapse. The Terme Puteolane was a splendid hotel that once hosted such famous people as Totò and Eduardo de Filippo, who went there to spend their leisure time. Some presidents of the Republic and Prince Umberto II of Savoy also stayed here. It is said that the same Sophia Loren, at a young age loved to browse around here to get closer to the mundane life before his success. The area, since Roman times was the site of spas, in medieval times it was possible to find an actual establishment. Then in the 1930s the building we see today was built by architect Federico Sabino, at the behest of Crescenzo d'Alicandro. The Terme Puteolane, in addition to the beauty of the building, also offers a splendid panorama that made the stay here unique, from here in fact in the distance it is possible to see the Rione Terra, another historical area of Pozzuoli.

Remaining active until a few years ago, the spa in fact housed a wellness center. The indoor area is used today as a private parking lot, and there is no access to the building as it is private property.

Popular spa or Balneum Sant'Anastasie

Locals remembered that on the Pertini Promenade, at the parallel (Corso Umberto I, 65) were hidden some underwater thermal water sources. So they removed processing residues from Italsider heavy industry, called "slop," and discovered a source of thermal water that reaches about 80 degrees. They formed three pools of different temperatures using large stones of volcanic origin: hot, lukewarm and cold and created seats by resting long wooden boards against the larger rocks thanks to which direct contact with the boiling stones lying on the bottom is avoided. In short, a thermal paradise discovered and cleaned up by the Puteolians themselves, who with pickaxe and a lot of willpower removed the so-called "loppa," and brought back to light a wonderful source of thermal water.

History of a thousand names

The area was called "'ngopp a loppa," due to the presence of rock waste from the Italsider plant in Bagnoli. After twinning with the Russian town of Yalta, the waterfront was dedicated to the Soviet country. Today it is Sandro Pertini which gives its name to the waterfront, but for all Puteolians this street has always been "Via Napoli," the link between Pozzuoli and the capital of Campania.

Pozzuoli's love signs.

On Pozzuoli's waterfront, as well as at other scenic spots in the city, the famous "Kiss Please" signs have been installed, the wording of which has been replaced by a series of love phrases that make the invitation to kiss each other even more evocative. One of these can be found right at the end of the St. Vincent Promenade, the backdrop of which, with the waves of the sea crashing on the rocks, makes the atmosphere even more romantic. This sweet initiative is an orginal way to enhance the area and entice passersby and visitors to more carefully and calmly enjoy the beauty of the place.