Torre Annunziata

Torre Annunziata, city (1991 pop. 52,875), Campania, S Italy, on the Bay of Naples and at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius. It is a port, industrial center, and seaside resort. Founded in the early 14th cent., the city was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631.

Torre Annunziata is a city and commune in the province of Naples, region of Campania in Italy. It is located at the Gulf of Naples at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius. The city was destroyed in the Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD and in 1631.

The city was once the seat of important ironwork (Deriver, Dalmine) food processing and pasta industries. Today industries still active include naval, armament and pharmaceutical ones.

The archaeological site of Oplonti is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997.

In spite of its position overlooking the bay of Naples, its volcanic black sand beaches and the wonderfully preserved Villa Poppaea, Torre Annunziata is rarely visited by tourists, who are frightened by its connections with the Camorra, and its reputation as a centre for extortion, murder, drug-dealing and corruption.

Main sights

On the Tabula Peutingeriana Torre Annunziata is called Oplonti.

In the communal territory, one of the richest Roman villas has been excavated. Dating to the 1st century BCE, it probably belonged to the gens Poppaea, and is known as Villa Poppaea.

Dialect

Although a comparatively small town, essentially a suburb of Naples, Torre Annunziata has its own unique dialect, a variation of Neapolitan, quite distinct, particularly in pronunciation, which is known as Torrese.