POZZUOLI, pOt-soo-ole, Italy, a city on the bay of the same name, six miles west of Naples, at the western foot of the Solfatara and in a volcanic country known to the Romans as the Phlegrman Fields. Near by is the Avernian Lake famed as the entrance to hell both in Virgil's sixth 7Eneid and in early Christian leg end, which pointed out here the place where Christ descended into hell. Remains of Cice ro's villa are near the town, which is particu larly famed for its amphitheatre, where 30,000 spectators could sit and in which there were naval battles as well as the ordinary gladiatorial i contests. The so-called Serapeum is an archz °logical puzzle and may have been a town-hall; traces of the action of sea water on several pil lars not now touched by high water seem to prove that the coast, possibly from volcanic dis turbances, has undergone marked and recurrent changes. The only other ruin of importance is that of the temple of Augustus, the site of which is occupied by the cathedral, which pre serves six of the original Corinthian columns. Pozzuoli is a good fishing-port; exports the vol canic sands called pozzolana, which are used in making cement; has important mineral baths in the vicinity, and is the site of an ordnance factory, a branch house of Armstrong and Company, which makes armor plate and cannon for the Italian government.
Pozzuoli was founded by Greek exiles from Samos in the 6th century s.c., as Dicwarchia, but the Italians called it Puteoli, athe wells," be cause of the sulphurous cavities in the earth, and the city continued to be known under this name after it was made a Roman colony in 194 B.C. The city became the greatest port of, Italy and on entrepot for Oriental commerce; goods were sent overland hence to Rome and the dangerous navigation of the coast of Latium avoided. Even after Ostium was built the port retained its importance, and its beautiful coast and cura tive springs and baths made it a famous resort. During the Middle Ages it suffered a great deal from frequent convulsions caused by nearby volcanos. Pop. (1910 census) 28,167. Consult Loffredi, F., (Antiquas Peteolortun) (in 'Thes. Antiq. et Hist Ital.,) Vol. IX, part 4, 1723) ; Paoli, P. A, delle Antichita the Esistano a Pozzuoli, Cuma e Baja) (Florence 1768) ; Stefani, Carlo de, 'La Villa Puteolana di (in 'R. Accad. d. Lincei. Rendic. 'Classe d. Sci. Fis.,> Ser. V. Vol. X, part 1, p. 128, Rome 1901) ; Huglsen, Christian, 'Inschrift von Pozzuoli) (in Kaiserliches Deutsches Arch mologisches Institut Mitteilungen, Roemische Abteilung, Vol. XXIII, p. 71, Rome 1908).