Rione Terra

Rione Terra is a historic quarter in Pozzuoli, Italy, in the Phlegraean Fields region west of Naples [1]. Rione Terra was originally a fortress for the settlement of Dicearkia founded by Greek colonists from Samos in the 6th century BCE [1]. The fortress became the Roman colony of Puteoli in 194 BCE and was subsequently reinforced by Roman walls [1]. An ancient Roman temple dating from this time was reconstructed as a temple for Augustus in the 1st century CE in the centre of the fortress [1]. The temple was later converted into the Pozzuoli Cathedral which stands to this day [1]. Rione Terra was populated until 1970 when it was evacuated due to a sudden bradyseism event that raised the hill on which the district is located by 1.7 m relative to sea level [1].