L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 3 and geological point of view, Naples represents an amazing source of treasures: the territory was discovered when the Greeks, already living in a colony in Pozzuoli, decided to build anoth- er town, called Neapolis, and thought of a water reservoir to pick up the rain. As time passed, the waterworks to pick up and distribute water through a series of channels, called cunicoli, started being connected to each other. Romans extended and improved the system and built a 400 km long water basin, the firs t example in the w hole ancient world. The so-called "tufacea" rock - known for being very light, soft and stable - was a thick layer of yellow stone gen- erated as the result of the hot foam erupted from the close Phlegraean Fields' underwater area, at that time composed of twenty-four craters and volcanic edifices. Once cooled, the rock turned into a soft material, easy to extract and process. The structure was maintained also in the Middle Ages through, at least, the nineteenth century: in 1885, as cholera epidemic spread around the area, the use of the water distribution system was abandoned in order to adopt new waterworks. Another important part of the area is the Seiano Cave, which became extremely important during the World War II, when it became a refuge for the popula- tion: in 1939, the local govern- ment registered 616 addresses for 436 refugees. When the war ended, the cave turned into a place for trash. The amazing dis- covery has become official when toys, furnishings, and furniture probably brought from home destroyed by bombs were found in the area. This hidden place gave people an opportunity to live a new life. Nevertheless, experts have als o found the "couple's room" where, during the bombings , people could either celebrate weddings or find some privacy by standing apart. The Galleria Borbonica One of the most emotional journeys in the underground of Naples is situated in Vico del Grottone, just off Plebiscito Square. The so-called Bourbon Angelina Jolie, born in L.A. 3 9 y e a r s a g o , w a s r e c e n t l y nominated the highest-income actress three times by Forbes, but also "Special Envoy" and former "Goodwill Ambassa- dor" for the United Nations H i g h C o m m i s s i o n e r f o r Refugees (UNHCR). Upon meeting with Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, l a s t O c t o b e r , o n T h u r s d a y , J a n u a r y 8 t h , t h e 1 9 9 9 Academy Award recipient for Best Supporting Actress, real- ized the dream of meeting with Pope Francis, in the Vatican City. The golden opportunity w a s o f f e r e d b y t h e p r i v a t e screening of her latest director- ial effort: Unbroken, released last Christmas Day in the U.S. P o p e F r a n c i s , e n g a g e d i n a diplomatic meeting with the F r e n c h C a r d i n a l , c o u l d n o t attend the actual projection, held in presence of the highest prelates, at the Casina Pio IV, headquarters of the Pontifical A c a d e m y o f S c i e n c e s a n d Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Among the audience, there was also a very special guest: Luke Zamperini, son of t h e O l y m p i a n a n d w a r h e r o Louis Zamperini, whose life the movie is centered on. In the film, based on the 2 0 1 0 n o n - f i c t i o n b o o k b y Laura Hillenbrand, Angelina tells Zamperini's life story, f r o m h i s c h i l d h o o d , i n Torrance, California, as trans- plant with his Italian family, t h r o u g h h i s c o m p e t i n g a s Olympic distance runner and his exceptional survival aboard a raft, after his B-24 bomber crashed in the Pacific during World War II, to his "superhu- m a n " e n d u r a n c e a f t e r t w o y e a r s o f i m p r i s o n m e n t i n Japanese camps and his tri- umphant return to US, at the end of the conflict. Angelina, accompanied by h e r t w o e l d e s t d a u g h t e r s , Shiloh and Zahara, her brother James Haven, Luke Zamperini and a member of the cast, had a brief but significant meeting with the Pope, who, at the end, gave the actress and her little girls some Vatican souvenirs. A s J o l i e s t a t e d : " T o b e invited to screen Unbroken at the Vatican is an honor and a tribute to Louie's legacy as a man of faith and someone who exemplified the power of for- giveness and the strength of the human spirit." Angelina Jolie from the City of Angels to the Vatican City Gallery can be accessed by a staircase with eight ramps, thir- ty-three yards deep descending into the Chiaia. Another entry is located in V ia D omenico Morelli. In 1853 the Gallery was built by Ferdinand II of Bourbon who was very con- cerned about the possible out- break of a rebellion. He asked for an easy giveaway from the Royal Palace. Those works have never been completed and, dur- ing the World War II, the tunnel was used by people as a military hospital, later become the Hall Judicial Deposit. While visiting the gallery, you can't help but discover the history of those people's life: walking through wide streets, you'll go along galleries and cis- terns of the 17th century. The Gallery offers now different tours, which go from the stan- dard one just described above to the "Adventure tour", for those who want to challenge them- selves a bit more: by passing through Bolla and Carmignano aqueducts tunnels, you will go down in another cistern, still full of water, and from here it will take you through the old 90s- LTR metro gallery, where it is possible to embark on a raft and s ail under the city. A nother option is represented by the Speleo Tour : as a real speleolo- gist, you will be equipped with light helmet and be able to explore the ancient underground tunnels to reach the wonderful tanks, still partially filled with water and decorated with myste- rious symbols. The itinerary also includes a visit passing through a small tunnel where, at the base of a well, thousands of shells, used in the '800 to make cameos and buttons, have been collect- ed; while taking a long walk in the narrow passages of the aque- duct, you will also admire walls with religious engravings made by the "pozzari". Finally, after a brief vis it in a tank full of ancient pottery, you will cross a huge cavity us ing a w ooden bridge and a cable car, both sus- pended over the water to six feet tall. The Bourbon Gallery was built by Ferdinand II of Bourbon in 1853 VALERIO VIALE Continued from page 1 Entrance to Seiano Cave

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