COCCO, Sean. Watching Vesuvius: a history of science and culture in early modern Italy. Chicago University Press, Chicago: 2012. Pp xii, 322; illustrated. Price US$ 45.00, £ 29.00 (hardback). ISBN 9780226923710.

Review article: Brief history of volcanic risk in the Neapolitan area (Campania, southern Italy): a critical review

“…However, in the minds of the people at least, the hostile nature of these places, sometimes sinister, was associated with the mood of the gods and not the actual nature of the area itself (Carlino, 2019). In this emerged the perception of natural disasters as divine punishments for humankind, a view that remained rooted in culture up to the 17th century (Cocco, 2012).…”

“…With Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), a gradual change in the approach to the study of earth science and the risk related to natural phenomena occurred. A crucial moment in the history of volcanic risk in the Neapolitan area came in 1631 when, after a long quiescence, Vesuvius awoke with an explosive (sub-Plinian) eruption, beginning almost continuous eruptive activity that ceased only in 1944 at the end of World War II (Cocco, 2012;Kilburn and McGuire, 2001;Rosi et al, 1993). However, here too a theological meaning was attributed to this calamitous event as an expiation of punishments.…”

“…A representative case is the island of Ischia. In 1883, the island was hit by a moderate and shallow earthquake (with magnitude around 4.5; Cubellis and Luongo, 1998), which devastated its northern sector (town of Casamicciola) and had more than 2300 victims (Carlino et al, 2010b). This event was followed by an almost seismic silence, up to 2017.…”

“…This event was followed by an almost seismic silence, up to 2017. At least during the last 25 years, the scientific community urged the island local authorities and the municipality of Casamicciola to take actions favouring the mitigation of seismic risk on the island (Cubellis and Luongo, 1998;Luongo et al, 2012). However, this message went unnoticed, up to 21 August 2017, when an M L 4.0 earthquake occurred in the town of Casamicciola and caused two deaths, tens of injuries and heavy damage in the upper part of the municipality (De S. Carlino: Brief history of volcanic risk Novellis et al, 2018).…”