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The hell Valley is a nature trail that can be taken on Mount Vesuvius, the world’s most dangerous and well-known volcano, famous for its violent eruptions.
The most popular and catastrophic is undoubtedly the one that occurred in 79 AD. When the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplonti and Stabia were buried by a blanket of ash and lapilli.
This eruption, despite the tragedy, had a significant impact on these cities in that it preserved their houses, streets and frescoes.
Keeping them in an extraordinary state of preservation and allowing archaeologists and tourists to learn about part of the lived life of the ancient Romans.
But the history of Vesuvius has been marked by numerous other violent eruptions besides that 79 AD.
Eruptions that over the years have significantly altered the conformation of the volcano. In fact, according to reconstructions made by numerous researchers, it is thought that Vesuvius originally reached a maximum height of 1600-1800 meters, as opposed to 1277 meters today. And Mount Somma did not exist but was an integral part with the present-day Great Cone.
Eruptions of effusive and explosive origin erased the old Volcano that incorporated Mount Somma and allowed the formation of the present Great cone within Mount Somma.
Vesuvius currently appears to be formed by an outer cone, Mount Somma, with a crater belt of about 15 km inside which is a smaller cone represented by the Great Cone of Vesuvius. Mount Somma, partially surrounds the Great Cone and these are separated by a depression called the Giant’s Valley.
In turn, the Valley of the Giant, covered by successive lava flows over the years, is subdivided to the east by the Valley of Hell and to the west by the straddling atrium.
Thus, Hell Valley is contained within Giant Valley and corresponds to Nature Trail No. 1, which today can be visited through hikes.
Where does the name Hell Valley come from
The particular name given to this valley is not related to anything hellish. But it was so named because in ancient times it was a completely desolate area and before life forms because of the numerous eruptions that did not allow either the birth of plants or the survival of animals.
Today, however, in spite of its name, it is characterized by rich and lush vegetation, some of which was unfortunately destroyed during the 2017 fire.
Vegetation rich in chestnut trees, brooms, pines, libecci and inhabited by numerous wild animals.
The Hell Valley Trail
The Hell Valley path starts from the Municipality of Ottaviano and ends on the cognols of Mount Somma, it has a length of 12,390 meters.
On the way inside the valley, you can admire the cognoli of Mount Somma, that is, the cusps, the peaks that were formed on the mountain as a result of the various eruptions that affected the volcano.
A characteristic natural arch, called Occhio del Diavolo (Devil’s Eye). Characterized by a particular opening resembling an eye, formed as a result of eruptions and modified by weathering over the years.
But not only along the route in the Valley of Hell, one can also admire the peculiar rope lava flows, so called because of the rope shape assumed by the lava after cooling.
The legend of Vesuvius and the cruel monk
Vesuvius and the valley of Hell have aroused the curiosity of numerous writers to the point of creating a true legend.
The story goes, in fact, that an evil monk went to Vesuvius to ask the volcano to fulfill an evil plan of his.
But Vesuvius stymied by the monk’s request sent a horse with eyes of fire down into the valley, which chased the monk and with a blow of its hoof struck him, sending him into the chasm of the valley of hell.
Since then that spot has been called the horse atrium and the monk’s chasm pit.
