ancient Lacus Avernus.
Lake, southern Italy.
It lies west of Naples in the crater of an extinct volcano. Because of its sulfurous vapors, it was considered an entrance to the underworld by the ancient Romans, including Virgil . According to legend, the grove of Hecate and the grotto of the Cumaean Sibyl lay nearby. In the 1st century BC it was transformed into a naval base, Portus Iulius, by Agrippa and linked to the sea. Its impressive Roman ruins include baths, temples, and villas.