Mount Vesuvius (Vesuvio) is a stratovolcano on the Bay of Naples, Italy, about 9 km east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting.

The two other volcanoes in Italy, Etna and Stromboli, are located on islands. Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Vesuvius has erupted many times since and is today regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000 people living nearby and its tendency towards explosive (Plinian) eruptions.

Map: Mount Vesuvius
Map: Mount Vesuvius