Via Campana Consolaris, Puteoli Italy

Apr 5

“…and on the second day we came to Puteoli.” Acts 28:13

In the old city of Pozzuoli, straight uphill north of the harbor, is a small but busy traffic circle. Two roads from the harbor, a road headed to Naples, a road leading east out of town toward the coast, a road leading north to Capua all converge at this spot. Crazy pedestrians (guilty) trying to position a tripod on the narrow side walk to capture a photo of this traffic circle are risking the irritation of wild drivers and hurried walkers! It was the same in the 1st century when Paul passed this very spot, the Porta Campana, the NW city gate of Puteoli, with roads leading in all of these directions. At the north side of the traffic circle today there are a couple of foundation stones from the old city gate protected by metal bars and zero signage to tell why the walkway is so rudely interrupted at this busy spot. Paul and his party would have walked out of the gate, turned up on the Via Cella, then joined the Via Campana Consolaris to Capua where they would catch the Via Appia into Rome. There was another route, following the coast west by the first century resort cities and then turning north to the Via Appia. However, the stretch between the coast and the Via Appia was dangerous and swampy and it wasn’t until very late in the 1st century that a safe road was constructed there.

Today as you go north of the traffic circle, under a railway overpass, you are walking the Via Cella. On the right side is a long line of ancient tombs that were just outside of the city in Paul’s time. The Via Cella tombs date from the mid 1st century BC to the 2nd century AD. They are still huge and impressive even though paint and decorations are long gone.

At the end of the line of tombs, Roman pavement is visible in two directions as the road splits. You can walk for a long stretch on these original stones of the Via Campana Consolaris toward Capua as Paul likely would have done.

Via Campana Consolaris, Pozzuoli Italy. The road likely walked by Paul and company toward Capua and the Via Appia.

Pozzuoli Italy - Biblical Puteoli

The traffic circle at the north of Pozzuoli - this was the NW gate, the Porta Campana, of ancient Puteoli

Foundation stones from the ancient city gate, Porta Campana

Passing under the railway bridge following the route of the ancient Via Cella

One remaining tomb on the left side of the road visible thru the tunnel

One ancient tomb on the left side of the Via Cella, a long line of them on the right

Long line of Via Cella tombs. These were just outside the city proper - the northern Puteoli necropolis - when Paul walked here. Tombs date from mid 1st century BC to 2nd C AD.