Vesuvius may have lost its plume of smoke,but it has lost none of its fascination- especially for those who live in the towns around the cone.They've now nicknamed it the 'Sterminator'.In centuries gone by ,their predecessors would study the volcano for signs of impending destruction.'Napoli fa i peccati e la Torre li paga',the residents of nearby Torre del Greco used to mutter- 'Naples sins and Torre del Greco suffers.'When reports of depraved behaviour circulated about Neapolitans across the bay,chastisement was only to be expected. Today the world continues to watch 'O'Vesuvio' with bated breath.Although its destructive powers are undoubtedly diminished,the threat of an eruption is ever present.In bygone ages the task of protecting the local inhabitants fell to the martyred patron saint of Naples,San Gennaro, or St. Januarius, whose statue was often aloft through the streets of the city in an effort to placate the volcano's wrath.
|