Volcano · Italy
Vesuvius
Buried Pompeii in 79 CE; quiet since 1944 with about 3 million people living nearby.
Status right now
No current reports
Vesuvius is not in the latest Smithsonian weekly report or the GDACS volcano alerts. That usually means it is quiet, but not every change is reported straight away. For official alerts, follow the local volcano observatory.
Checked 5 Nov 2026, 01:30 UTC.
Key facts
- Country
- Italy
- Region
- Europe
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Summit
- 1,281 m (4,203 ft)
- Coordinates
- 40.821° N, 14.426° E
- Smithsonian number
- 211020
What kind of volcano is it?
Vesuvius is a stratovolcano. A stratovolcano is a tall, steep cone built from layers of lava, ash and rock from many eruptions. Its sticky magma traps gas, so eruptions are often explosive, with ash columns and fast-moving pyroclastic flows.
Eruption history
| Date | VEI | Deaths | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Mar 1944 | 3 | 27 | – |
| 4 Apr 1906 | 3 | 350 | tsunami |
| 10 Mar 1905 | 2 | 1 | – |
| 1873 | – | 9 | – |
| 24 Apr 1872 | 3 | 9 | – |
| May 1813 | 2 | – | tsunami |
| 11 Aug 1805 | 2 | 4 | – |
| 15 Jun 1794 | 3 | 400 | – |
| 8 Aug 1779 | 3 | – | – |
| 20 May 1737 | 3 | 2 | – |
| 30 Jun 1714 | – | – | tsunami |
| May 1698 | 3 | – | tsunami |
| 3 Feb 1690 | 3 | – | tsunami |
| 12 Aug 1682 | 3 | 4 | – |
| 16 Dec 1631 | 5 | 4,000 | tsunami, earthquake |
| 787 | 3 | – | – |
| 25 Aug 79 | 5 | 2,100 | tsunami, earthquake |
| 2,420 BCE | 5 | – | – |
18 significant eruptions near Vesuvius in NOAA's Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database, which lists eruptions that caused deaths, damage or a tsunami, or were VEI 6 or larger. VEI is the Volcanic Explosivity Index, from 0 to 8.
Nearby volcanoes
- Campi FlegreiItaly · 24 km
- StromboliItaly · 236 km
- VulcanoItaly · 273 km
- EtnaItaly · 345 km
- SantoriniGreece · 1,071 km
- TeideSpain (Tenerife) · 3,146 km
Not an official warning service. In an emergency, follow your local authorities.