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Parco Virgiliano  is located in Naples, in the district of Posillipo. It must not be confused with the other park, Parco Vergiliano, in Piedigrotta, district of Chiaia; and it faces the gulfs of Naples and Pozzuoli.

It was realised between the twenties and the thirties, in order to honour the fallen of the Great War, and it was opened in 1931 (9^th year of Fascism) with the name “Parco della Vittoria o della Bellezza”, then it was named “Parco della Rimembranza”, till Guido Della Valle, well-known Neapolitan pedagogue, changed it in Virgiliano to honour the Latin poet.

In 1936 Pietro Porcinai intervened with a project for the reorganisation of green areas.

During the sixties, it was added a sports facility, which includes an athletics track and a football pitch, and a cavea for concerts in 1975 on the slope of Baia di Trentaremi. After a long period of degradation and negligence, the park’s redevelopment was started in 1997, it was partly managed by the architect Alessandro Tagliolini, and it was reopened in 2002, with the closure to automobiles, which were allowed to cross the park in the past. In addition, it received the qualification of “Il parco letterario”: getting inspiration from the theme “La Napoli del Grand Tour”, posters were hanged with quotations and thoughts of travellers of the 18^th century, such as Goethe, in the most panoramic points.

The park covers an area of about 92 hectares, at 150 meters above the sea level. It is possible to access from viale Virgilio, through a monumental entrance. It is characterised by a system of terraces, overlooks, from where it is possible to observe the islands of Procida, Ischia and Capri, the islet of Nisida, the gulf of Pozzuoli, the districts of Agnano, Fuorigrotta, Rione Traiano, Pianura, Eremo dei Camaldoli, the gulf of  Bacoli and the promontory Capo Miseno, Monte di Procida, Vesuvius and its coast, Penisola sorrentina, Baia di Trentaremi with its archaeological ruins and Naples’ historic centre.

There are also two chests (one of  Simón Bolívar and the other Mohandas Gandhi) and play grounds for children.

Among the plants, which are all Mediterranean species, there are olive trees, maritime pines, holm oaks, Quercus robur, broom trees, agaves, and a dense undergrowth with myrtles, rosemary and phillyreas.

Sore note: cleaning and maintenance are not adequate.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)