Morra, V., Calcaterra, D., Cappelletti, P., Colella, A., Fedele, L., de' Gennaro, R., Langella, A., Mercurio, M. and de' Gennaro, M. 2010.   Urban geology: relationships between geological setting and architectural heritage of the Neapolitan area. In: (Eds.) Marco Beltrando, Angelo Peccerillo, Massimo Mattei, Sandro Conticelli, and Carlo Doglioni, The Geology of Italy: tectonics and life along plate margins, Journal of the Virtual Explorer, Electronic Edition, ISSN 1441-8142, volume 36, paper 27, doi:10.3809/jvirtex.2010.00261

Urban geology: relationships between geological setting and architectural heritage of the Neapolitan area

Vincenzo Morra

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80136 Napoli, Italy. <vimorra@unina.it>

Domenico Calcaterra

Dipartimento di Ingegneria Idraulica, Geotecnica ed Ambientale, Università di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy.

Piergiulio Cappelletti

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80136 Napoli, Italy.

Abner Colella

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80136 Napoli, Italy.

Lorenzo Fedele

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80136 Napoli, Italy.

Roberto de' Gennaro

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80136 Napoli, Italy.

Alessio Langella

Dipartimento di Studi Geologici e Ambientali, Università del Sannio di Benevento, Italy.

Mariano Mercurio

Dipartimento di Studi Geologici e Ambientali, Università del Sannio di Benevento, Italy.

Maurizio de' Gennaro

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80136 Napoli, Italy.

Abstract

The geological setting of the Neapolitan area, dominated by the volcanic districts of Campi Flegrei and Somma-Vesuvius, has played a fundamental role in the urban development since historical times. The volcanic materials emplaced by the two districts have been widely used in the Neapolitan architecture - as dimension stones, building stones and for the production of plasters - due to their great availability and overall good physic-technical properties. While the particular geology of the area has many positive aspects, it nonetheless includes several geo-hazards which have also had a deep influence on the historical evolution of the urban settlements. The numerous aspects of such a link between geology and anthropic activities in the Neapolitan area are here thoroughly investigated.

Keywords: Naples, Campi Flegrei, Somma-Vesuvius, geomaterials, urban geology