National Geographic: In the Shadow of Vesuvius Page #5

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Vesuvius's central crater,

San Sebastiano has historically

been an easy target.

Nearly every generation living here

since the early 19th century

has seen their town destroyed.

Even their patron saint seemed

helpless against the onslaught.

Miraculously, only two people died,

but two thirds of the buildings

were totally destroyed.

Most of the population was homeless.

Two hundred yards wide, the solidified

lava flow remains today

as a vivid reminder of

San Sebastiano's perilous hours.

One man remember well.

Nineteen at the time of the eruption,

Raffaele Capasso would go on to

become mayor of San Sebastiano,

a position he has held for 31 years.

For his the-year-old niece he recalls

the events of 1944

as the lave advanced and

inundated the town.

Could it erupt again? She asks.

Yes, he replies. The volcano has been

sleeping now for 42 years.

We've never seen it

sleep that long before.

But, he goes on, we must rely

on scientists to alert us in time.

Under Mayor Capasso's leadership,

San Sebastiano today is a thriving,

bustling town.

As a young man, it was he who urged

the townspeople

not to abandon their city,

but to rebuild.

And rebuild they did right on

top of the lava.

What might be an ominous reminder

of past horrors

stands as unofficial monument

to a people's tenacity and pride.

Mayor Capasso, often quoted as saying,

"The power of man in greater

than the power of the volcano",

has turned San Sebastiano

into a showcase city.

Before the eruption some

Today, that figure

has more than doubled.

And San Sebastiano is

but one of 14 towns

that crowd the slopes of Vesuvius.

Twice every year, those living

in Vesuvius's shadow throng

to Naples' cathedral, the Duomo,

in anticipation of an ages-old ritual

the miracle of San Gennaro,

their patron saint.

San Gennaro, martired in 305 A.D.,

is said to have saved the region

from famines, plagues, and cholera.

But perhaps most importantly,

he is its protector against

the might of Vesuvius.

A small amount of his dried blood

is stored in the Duomo.

The faithful believe it must

turn to liquid today

to ensure Naples' safety

from Vesuvius for another year.

Occasionally, the miracle has not

occurred for instance in 1979.

Then in 1980 the region suffered

a devastating earthquake

from which it is still recovering.

Nearly 3,000 died.

A hundred thousand were homeless.

The miracle has happened.

Vesuvius, the devout believe,

will not harm them for another year.

They offer prayers of thanks.

This land holds their roots;

it is their beloved home.

And once again San Gennaro

has assured them it is safe.

With renewed faith on this bright

and hopeful day,

it is a time to reflect, to look

to the future, and to celebrate.

Yet even as they rejoice,

the faces of the present hauntingly

evoke the faces of the past.

The faces of the living are reflected

in the faces of the dead.

In 1632 the Viceroy of Naples warned:

Children and children's children. Hear

I warn you now. Sooner or

later this mountain takes fire.

Flee so long as you can.

And yet people still return

to the slopes of the mountain,

even to build new town farther up

its broad and fertile flanks.

In years to come,

scientists will continue to be drawn

to the towns of Vesuvius

to probe more deeply

the mysteries of the past,

to ponder the fate of those

whose lives were lost.

Perhaps today the power of man has

become greater than the volcano.

Perhaps science does hold hope

for a future

when Nature can at last be tamed.

Ultimately, perhaps,

it may be the indomitable human spirit

that will prevail.

Those in the shadow of Vesuvius

have been called courageous by some,

foolhardy by others.

The judgment is history's to decide.

For now only this is sure:

if holocaust is only dimly feared,

its specter nevertheless remains.

Long after the sun has disappeared

from the sky,

a mountain's shadow continues to fall.

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