Villa Avellino - De Gemmis, the green heart of Pozzuoli

About this activity

A large and well-maintained public park is an invaluable treasure for a city and its inhabitants, who can take advantage of its spaces to relax from daily stress. Let alone if the park in question houses an ancient noble residence and even archaeological remains dating back to ancient Rome! Such is the case with Villa Avellino - De Gemmis, a splendid park nestled in the heart of Pozzuoli a short distance from the city's major points of interest. Its 28,500 square meters covered with lush and well-maintained vegetation are the ideal place to spend a Sunday with your family, take a walk with your sweetheart or simply relax on a bench in the company of a good book.

History of Villa Avellino - De Gemmis

Villa Avellino - De Gemmis was built in 1540 at the behest of the princes Colonna di Stigliano. The residence remained their property for over two centuries, until in 1797 it was sold to the Benedictine Fathers of the Congregation of Montevergine and used as a convent until the suppression of that monastic order a few years later. Within two centuries the villa thus had other owners, noble and otherwise: first the Lusciano barons, later the eclectic archaeologist Francesco Maria Avellino and finally Baron De Gemmis of Terlizzi. As it is easy to guess, the names of the last two owners ended up designating the entire villa complex. In 1980 the garden of Villa Avellino - De Gemmis became the property of the Municipality of Pozzuoli, which turned it into a public park. It is still a place beloved by the people of Puteoli, who have recently protected the villa's park from plans to build a new road axis that would have destroyed part of the city's only green lung.

Why visit Villa Avellino - De Gemmis

Villa Avellino - De Gemmis is a decidedly unique public park: in addition to having large green spaces dotted with water features and children's play areas, it is important to remember that the villa stands on an archaeological site dating back to Roman times. Walking through the park, in fact, a series of numerous water collection rooms, all communicating with each other, is still visible below street level; these rooms are traditionally called "Centocamerelle" and can be dated between the first and second centuries AD, at the beginning of the imperial age.

Also noteworthy is the historic residence, finely renovated and used as an accommodation facility since 2011. The complex of Villa Avellino - De Gemmis also includes the Chapel of St. Andrew, transformed into a restaurant in 1980. Also making Villa Avellino very attractive to visitors is its very central location, within walking distance of Pozzuoli harbor and the city's main points of interest, such as theFlavian Amphitheater and the Temple of Serapis. It must be said, then, that the large parking lot of Villa Avellino provides an excellent foothold for the visitor eager to discover the treasures of the city of Pozzuoli.

Curiosities about Villa Avellino - De Gemmis

• Embedded in the foundation of the Villa Avellino - De Gemmis building is an ancient cistern from the Roman era, the so-called Lusciano Swimming Pool. Dating from around the second half of the first century AD, this structure was of fundamental importance for collecting water for use by the surrounding buildings. The Lusciano Pool, like other Roman water reservoirs still present in the territory of Pozzuoli (think of the Cardito Pool), testifies to the mastery achieved by Roman engineers in designing water storage and distribution systems that guaranteed a constant supply for all daily needs. Unfortunately, the archaeological site of the Lusciano Pool cannot be visited to date.
• Apparently, inside the aristocratic residence of Villa Avellino were preserved pictorial works of some value, which, however, have never been found. In particular, it seems that among them was a work by the Puteolan painter Giacinto Diano, who lived in the 18th century and was known for his very rich artistic production visible in many churches and palaces in Naples. If you are interested in learning more, know that some of Diano's works can be admired in the Church of San Raffaele, very close to Villa Avellino - De Gemmis.