When you think of
Mount Vesuvius, it is probably images of the destruction of the ancient city of
Pompeii or of legions of tourists going to observe the famous volcano for themselves. You are less likely to immediately picture wine and, yet, that is one of the things you are very likely to encounter as, at the base of the volcano, there are famous vineyards, that stretch part-way up the slopes and produce wines that have been consumed since the fifth century BC. So, if you’re interested in wine, the history of wine, and unique wines, in particular, then you need to make sure you experience this rather special variety when you plan your
vacation in Campania.
Lacryma Christi, also known as Lachryma Christi of Vesuvius, is the name of this celebrated Neapolitan type of wine made on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Literally meaning, "tears of Christ," the wine type dates back to even before the time of Jesus, to the fifth century BC, when Greek settlers first came to the area and planted Italy’s very first vineyards, as noted by
Aristotle who recorded that the ancient people of Thessaly in Magna Grecia planted the first vineyards on Mount Vesuvius' slopes. After the Greeks came the Romans, who named the area, “Campania Felix,” (or “fertile countryside,” from which the region’s modern-day name of Campania derives) and spread the legend that
Bacchus wept tears of joy upon seeing such a beautiful land, which caused vines to flourish in the landscape. Roman poet Martial wrote, "Bacchus loved these hills more than his native hills of Nisa". As is often the case, this story was later Christianised and medieval wine-making monks swapped out Bacchus for Christ and motivated his fertile tears with a tale of the sorrow the Son of God felt over Lucifer's fall from heaven. Lucifer was also said to have taken a little piece of heaven with him when he fell, further imbuing magic and blessings into the soils of the area.
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