L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano O n the western side of the Bay of Naples, just w i t h i n t h e P h l e g r a e a n Fields, a volcanic landscape that includes Baiae, Miseno, and Cuma, you'll find the town of Bacoli. It lies about 9 m i l e s w e s t o f c e n t r a l Naples, roughly 15 miles by road, and stretches over low hills and coastal lakes such a s F u s a r o a n d M i s e n o , whose shorelines still show the area's geological restless- n e s s . T o d a y , B a c o l i h a s around 25,000 residents, many of whom live in neigh- borhoods layered on top of ancient walls, staircases, and piers that still emerge from gardens and courtyards. Back in Roman times, it was known as Bauli, and it was a famous seaside resort near Baiae where aristocrats k e p t v i l l a s . I n d e e d , t h e toponym appears in Tacitus and Suetonius in accounts of Nero's mother Agrippina, whose final days were linked to a villa there. Over time, Bauli became Bacoli, but the Roman imprint stayed visi- ble in the terraces, baths, and fishponds built along this coast. B a c o l i i s a l s o k n o w n , today like in the past, for striking feats of Roman engi- n e e r i n g , e s p e c i a l l y t h e u n d e r g r o u n d P i s c i n a Mirabilis, a vast vaulted cistern dug into tuff to sup- ply the naval base at Miseno. The interior rises about 49 feet and runs roughly 236 by 82 feet, with forty-eight cru- ciform pillars; its capacity is estimated at about 12,600 cubic meters, a scale that earned it the local nickname Water Cathedral. Above ground, smaller cisterns and galleries such as the Cento Camerelle show how water management underpinned life on this headland: the surrounding area was dense w i t h v i l l a s , a n d t h e s e hydraulic systems sustained not only the Roman naval fleet but also the elaborate g a r d e n s , b a t h s , a n d f i s h tanks that were status mark- ers for the elite. If we want to hear about one of the key stories of the bay, we must travel to near- by C a p o M i s e n o , where Rome moved the western imperial fleet after Agrippa's first base at Portus Julius s i l t e d u p . T h i s i s h o w M i s e n o b e c a m e t h e m a i n harbor of the Classis Mise- nensis. The naval presence supported villas and work- shops from Baiae to Milis- c o l a , a n d i t s l o g i s t i c s depended on the cistern net- w o r k w e m e n t i o n e d , a n d that Bacoli still preserves. Even today the curved pro- file of the headland, easily visible from across the bay, is used as a landmark for sailors and ferries moving b e t w e e n N a p l e s a n d t h e islands. Centuries after the times of the Empire, the Bourbon court left its own mark at L a k e F u s a r o : i n 1 7 8 2 Carlo Vanvitelli designed the o c t a g o n a l C a s i n a V a n - vitelliana, a small hunting and fishing lodge built for F e r d i n a n d I V o n a n i s l e t reached by a wooden bridge. The building's light footprint and waterside siting make it one of the area's most recog- n i z a b l e s i l h o u e t t e s , w i t h p e r i o d s o u r c e s a n d l o c a l archives also recalling the Bourbons' efforts to cultivate oysters in the lake and revive a practice known since clas- sical times. The lodge has since hosted writers, musi- c i a n s , a n d v i s i t i n g d i g n i - taries. I f y o u f e e l h u n g r y a n d l o v e s e a f o o d , B a c o l i w i l l m a k e y o u h a p p y : c l a m s , m u s s e l s , a n d f i s h s o u p s , often paired with Falanghi- na and Piedirosso grown on volcanic soils under the Campi Flegrei DOC are a staple on local menus. The wines are typically light on extract and high in salinity, a style that matches the area's simple trattoria cooking and the shellfish that have been farmed in these lagoons at i n t e r v a l s f r o m a n t i q u i t y through the Bourbon period. Often, visitors use Bacoli as a base to see the Parco Archeologico dei Campi Flegrei, and to take in the historical greatness of the cisterns, of the baths and terraces of Baiae, and the o u t l o o k s f r o m M i s e n o toward Capri and the Sor- rento Peninsula. Trains on the Cumana line and fre- quent buses link the area to Naples, should you enjoy a d a y t r i p t o t h e c i t y o f Parthenope or fancy a visit to Bacoli from there. E ach year in late S e p t e m b e r , I m p r u n e t a gathers in Piazza B u o n d e l m o n t i for the Festa dell'Uva, a g r a p e f e s t i v a l t h a t b r i n g s together harvest celebration with a carefully structured competition. The event's offi- cial founding date is 1928, when the town (then under t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n o f t h e Comune del Galluzzo) orga- nized the first edition aimed a t p r o m o t i n g g r a p e c o n - sumption during a difficult economic period. Interrupt- e d b y t h e w a r a n d l a t e r revived, it has grown into o n e o f T u s c a n y ' s m o s t attended fall festivals. The day builds toward a contest among the town's four historic rioni, Sante Marie, Sant'Antonio, For- naci, and Pallò, whose crews work for weeks on floats, cos- tumes, and choreography. Each neighborhood has a fixed window, traditionally around forty minutes, to tell a story on the square using m o v i n g s e t s , d a n c e , a n d music; a jury scores the per- formances, and the mayor announces the ranking from the municipal balcony. The r i v a l r y i s s h a r p b u t c i v i c - m i n d e d : v o l u n t e e r s o f a l l a g e s h a n d l e c a r p e n t r y , sewing, make-up, and logis- tics, and the winning banner hangs from the town hall for the following week. What makes Impruneta's festival really special is, more than anything, its setting – a beautiful village – and the w a y i t t a k e s p l a c e : r a t h e r t h a n a p a r a d e p a s s i n g t h r o u g h l o n g s t r e e t s , t h e floats and ensembles enter and perform inside a single square framed by the basili- ca, so spectators see a com- plete stage picture for each r i o n e b e f o r e t h e n e x t o n e takes over. The format con- centrates energy and keeps the focus on narrative and choreography rather than on continuous motion, a struc- ture that local organizers link to the event's early decades and that still draws thou - sands. The festival also ties into Impruneta's place in the Chi- anti area, which is why you can see many growers, coop- eratives, and artisans set up s t a n d s a n d s i d e e v e n t s through the weekend. For visitors, the practical point is timing: the last Sunday of September is the main day, and the square fills early; reaching the center on foot from outlying parking areas is usually the simplest way to arrive. Grapes at the Festa dell'Uva in Impruneta (Photo: Lcodacci/Dreamstime) A beautiful fall tradition, the Festa dell'Uva Toscana in Impruneta Bacoli: Roman waterworks and a living shore by Naples The Casina Vanvitelliana, on lake Fusaro in Bacoli (Photo: Rosario Manzo/Dreamstime) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS

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