Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Torre del Greco

TORRE DEL GRECO, a town of Italy, in the province of Naples, 71/2 miles to the south-east of that city, lies at the south-west foot of Vesuvius, on the shore of the Bay of Naples. It is built chiefly of lava, and stands on the lava stream of 1631, which destroyed two-thirds of the older town. Great damage was done by the eruptions of 1737 and 1794, when immense streams of lava flowed through the town into the sea; the earthquake of 1857 and the eruption of December 8, 1861, were even more destructive. After each disaster the people have returned and repaired the ruin, the advantage de rived from the rich land on the flanks of the volcano and the proximity to the sea and to Naples being more than enough to overcome apprehensions of danger. In the outskirts are many beautiful villas and gardens. The inhabitants are largely employed in fishing (tunny, oyster, sardine, and especially coral), and the neighbourhood is famed for its fruit and wine. The population in 1881 was 21,586.