AFP 5 hrs ago
Fish dart across mosaic floors and into the ruined villas, where holidaying Romans once drank, plotted and flirted in the party town of Baiae, now an underwater archaeological park near Naples.
© Andreas SOLARO Divers can explore the underwater ruins of the ancient Roman party town of Baiae
© Andreas SOLARO Now an underwater archaeological park near Naples, Rome's nobility were first attracted in the 2nd century BC to the hot springs at Baiae
Statues which once decorated luxury abodes in this beachside resort are now playgrounds for crabs off the coast of Italy, where divers can explore ruins of palaces and domed bathhouses built for emperors.
Rome's nobility were first attracted in the 2nd century BC to the hot springs at Baiae, which sits on the coast within the Campi Flegrei -- a supervolcano known in English as the Phlegraean Fields.
Seven emperors, including Augustus and Nero, had villas here, as did Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. The poet Sextus Propertius described the town as a place of vice, which was "foe to virtuous creatures"
Statues which once decorated luxury abodes in this beachside resort are now playgrounds for crabs off the coast of Italy, where divers can explore ruins of palaces and domed bathhouses built for emperors.
Rome's nobility were first attracted in the 2nd century BC to the hot springs at Baiae, which sits on the coast within the Campi Flegrei -- a supervolcano known in English as the Phlegraean Fields.
Seven emperors, including Augustus and Nero, had villas here, as did Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. The poet Sextus Propertius described the town as a place of vice, which was "foe to virtuous creatures"
.
© Andreas SOLARO By the 4th century, the porticos, marble columns, shrines and ornamental fish ponds of Baiae had begun to sink due to bradyseism, the gradual rise and fall of land due to hydrothermal and seismic activity
It was where "old men behave like young boys, and lots of young boys act like young girls," according to the Roman scholar Varro.
But by the 4th century, the porticos, marble columns, shrines and ornamental fish ponds had begun to sink due to bradyseism, the gradual rise and fall of land due to hydrothermal and seismic activity
It was where "old men behave like young boys, and lots of young boys act like young girls," according to the Roman scholar Varro.
But by the 4th century, the porticos, marble columns, shrines and ornamental fish ponds had begun to sink due to bradyseism, the gradual rise and fall of land due to hydrothermal and seismic activity
.
© Andreas SOLARO Baiae sits on the Italian coast within the Campi Flegrei -- a supervolcano known in English as the Phlegraean Fields
The whole area, including the neighbouring commercial capital of Pozzuoli and military seat at Miseno, were submerged. Their ruins now lie between four and six metres (15 to 20 feet) underwater
The whole area, including the neighbouring commercial capital of Pozzuoli and military seat at Miseno, were submerged. Their ruins now lie between four and six metres (15 to 20 feet) underwater
.
© Andreas SOLARO The underwater site has been a protected marine area since 2002 and divers must be accompanied by a registered guide
- 'Something unique' -
"It's difficult, especially for those coming for the first time, to imagine that you can find things you would never be able to see anywhere else in the world in just a few metres of water," said Marcello Bertolaso, head of the Campi Flegrei diving centre, which takes tourists around the site.
"Divers love to see very special things, but what you can see in the park of Baiae is something unique."
The 177-hectare (437-acre) underwater site has been a protected marine area since 2002, following decades in which antiques were found in fishermen's nets and looters had free rein.
Divers must be accompanied by a registered guide.
A careful sweep of sand near a low wall uncovers a stunning mosaic floor from a villa which belonged to Gaius Calpurnius Pisoni, known to have spent his days here conspiring against Emperor Nero.
Explorers follow the ancient stones of the coastal road past ruins of spas and shops, the sunlight on a clear day piercing the waves to light up statues. These are replicas; the originals are now in a museum
- 'Something unique' -
"It's difficult, especially for those coming for the first time, to imagine that you can find things you would never be able to see anywhere else in the world in just a few metres of water," said Marcello Bertolaso, head of the Campi Flegrei diving centre, which takes tourists around the site.
"Divers love to see very special things, but what you can see in the park of Baiae is something unique."
The 177-hectare (437-acre) underwater site has been a protected marine area since 2002, following decades in which antiques were found in fishermen's nets and looters had free rein.
Divers must be accompanied by a registered guide.
A careful sweep of sand near a low wall uncovers a stunning mosaic floor from a villa which belonged to Gaius Calpurnius Pisoni, known to have spent his days here conspiring against Emperor Nero.
Explorers follow the ancient stones of the coastal road past ruins of spas and shops, the sunlight on a clear day piercing the waves to light up statues. These are replicas; the originals are now in a museum
.
© Andreas SOLARO "There are undoubtedly still ancient relics to be found," said the archaeologist in charge of the Baiae park
"When we research new areas, we gently remove the sand where we know there could be a floor, we document it, and then we re-cover it," archaeologist Enrico Gallocchio told AFPTV
"When we research new areas, we gently remove the sand where we know there could be a floor, we document it, and then we re-cover it," archaeologist Enrico Gallocchio told AFPTV
.
© Andrea BERNARDI The town of Baiae was once a spot for holidaying Romans to drink and party - until it began to sink. Now the ruins of the palaces and domed bathhouses built for Rome's nobility form an underwater archaeological park near Naples.
"If we don't, the marine fauna or flora will attack the ruins. The sand protects them," said Gallocchio, who is in charge of the Baiae park.
"The big ruins were easily discovered by moving a bit of sand, but there are areas where the banks of sand could be metres deep. There are undoubtedly still ancient relics to be found," he said.
"If we don't, the marine fauna or flora will attack the ruins. The sand protects them," said Gallocchio, who is in charge of the Baiae park.
"The big ruins were easily discovered by moving a bit of sand, but there are areas where the banks of sand could be metres deep. There are undoubtedly still ancient relics to be found," he said.
Diver takes you on his adventures in the Delaware River
By SARAH CASSI,
By SARAH CASSI,
LehighValleyLive.com
EASTON, Pa. (AP) — Matt Schade has crossed the iconic Easton-Phillipsburg free bridge hundreds of times, looked out at the Delaware River and wondered what was underneath the water’s surface.
Many have wondered the same thing, curiosity piqued by rumors of what, or who, might be hidden in the river in between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
But most don’t have scuba gear like Schade, and fewer have the sense of discovery that pushes the Allentown man to suit up and dive in waterways around the Lehigh Valley.
“I was always curious as a kid, looking out at water sources, or the rivers and lakes, curious on how deep they went, what could be down there. What does it look like down there?” he said. “It’s a lot of mysterious questions, they’re unanswered and I always enjoyed that. Exploring is one of the main things that I truly like to do.”
Schade explores with friends, but thousands of strangers now eagerly share in his adventures.
Schade, who goes by STILLFIN online, posts videos of his hikes and dives to his Facebook and YouTube pages. He initially posted the videos for fun, but during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid Pennsylvania’s stay-at-home order, Schade’s videos took off.
A May 2020 video of his dive near Bethlehem’s Sand Island, where he found a hatchet, was the first one to get more than 2,000 views on Facebook. His audience has only grown since then.
Schade’s most popular video so far is his dive in July under the free bridge, which has more than 64,600 views and almost 350 comments on Facebook.
Watching his videos, there are Zen-like moments of peace, as Schade navigates the dark waters with only the sounds of the water and his breathing.
“It definitely is calming, it’s very tranquil down there, especially when a fish swims right up to you, without question,” he said. “It’s a completely different world down there, completely different physics. ... You can’t really hear anything, but when you do hear something, it surrounds you.”
The 31-year-old said he started exploring the area woods and water after realizing he wasn’t fully living his life.
“I felt like I was doing a lot more work than actual living. I moved onto something a little more exotic, a little more extreme,” he said. “It definitely perked up my life a lot, so now I’m really happy with it. It’s a good thing.”
Before he got his water certification in 2017, Schade was hiking in the woods, checking out abandoned buildings, and diving with a snorkel, some fins and a knife.
“I would go looking for junk and take pictures of it, and throw it online,” he said.
He and his diving buddy, who goes by STIFFCHIN, started recording their dives about five years ago. Now, they use GoPro cameras on their hands and head to document the trips
Sometimes they dive in places they see every day, like the free bridge or the Race Street bridge in Catasauqua. Other times, word of mouth leads them to other spots. Not all of the locations are dive-able, with some too far from any road or a place to park to bring in the necessary gear.
One of his favorite dives was in the Delaware Water Gap, where the river can go from about 30 feet to 50 feet in spots and gets really dark.
“That was beautiful. I was not expecting the visibility to be that good,” Schade said. By comparison, the Lehigh River gets dark at about 20 feet.
“It’s like going on the moon, except you don’t need a rocket,” he said.
Abandoned fishing lines are a common hazard, especially in the Lehigh. Schade and his diving friends have gotten tangled and needed to be cut free.
“It’s something that needs to be cleaned up. It’s out of hand,” he said.
Other hazards are rebar, flash floods and tree limbs. Branches in the water can turn into spider webs that trap a diver, and flash flooding not only changes the current, but affects visibility.
“Once you start getting zero visibility and you’re out there in chocolate milk with your buddy, you’ve got to get the hell out of there,” Schade said.
The rivers are full of fish, random trash and some treasures: hubcaps, car seats, tires, cellphones, old coins, even a pocket watch.
“Anything could be in that river. Anything, man,” he said. “I’ve seen so much stuff under there, I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
The rivers were especially busy last summer when most municipal pools were closed because of the coronavirus.
“People were exploring Mother Nature more, since they didn’t have these other places to go. We found a lot more stuff in the river last year. People were losing stuff left and right,” he said.
Right now, Schade said he’s sticking to exploring around the free bridge. He uploaded a new video Wednesday after diving friends helped guide him to the remnants of the old bridge.
“It’s unknown territory to us. There’s still plenty to be found down there. I’ve been told there’s abandon cars down there, and all that,” he said.
His latest video was up for less than a day and already more than 4,700 people had watched it.
The popularity has surprised him, but Schade said he would keep diving even if no one watched the videos.
“Now it’s finally taking off a little bit. I can’t believe it. It’s something else,” he said.
___
Online:
https://bit.ly/3meS3bZ
EASTON, Pa. (AP) — Matt Schade has crossed the iconic Easton-Phillipsburg free bridge hundreds of times, looked out at the Delaware River and wondered what was underneath the water’s surface.
Many have wondered the same thing, curiosity piqued by rumors of what, or who, might be hidden in the river in between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
But most don’t have scuba gear like Schade, and fewer have the sense of discovery that pushes the Allentown man to suit up and dive in waterways around the Lehigh Valley.
“I was always curious as a kid, looking out at water sources, or the rivers and lakes, curious on how deep they went, what could be down there. What does it look like down there?” he said. “It’s a lot of mysterious questions, they’re unanswered and I always enjoyed that. Exploring is one of the main things that I truly like to do.”
Schade explores with friends, but thousands of strangers now eagerly share in his adventures.
Schade, who goes by STILLFIN online, posts videos of his hikes and dives to his Facebook and YouTube pages. He initially posted the videos for fun, but during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid Pennsylvania’s stay-at-home order, Schade’s videos took off.
A May 2020 video of his dive near Bethlehem’s Sand Island, where he found a hatchet, was the first one to get more than 2,000 views on Facebook. His audience has only grown since then.
Schade’s most popular video so far is his dive in July under the free bridge, which has more than 64,600 views and almost 350 comments on Facebook.
Watching his videos, there are Zen-like moments of peace, as Schade navigates the dark waters with only the sounds of the water and his breathing.
“It definitely is calming, it’s very tranquil down there, especially when a fish swims right up to you, without question,” he said. “It’s a completely different world down there, completely different physics. ... You can’t really hear anything, but when you do hear something, it surrounds you.”
The 31-year-old said he started exploring the area woods and water after realizing he wasn’t fully living his life.
“I felt like I was doing a lot more work than actual living. I moved onto something a little more exotic, a little more extreme,” he said. “It definitely perked up my life a lot, so now I’m really happy with it. It’s a good thing.”
Before he got his water certification in 2017, Schade was hiking in the woods, checking out abandoned buildings, and diving with a snorkel, some fins and a knife.
“I would go looking for junk and take pictures of it, and throw it online,” he said.
He and his diving buddy, who goes by STIFFCHIN, started recording their dives about five years ago. Now, they use GoPro cameras on their hands and head to document the trips
Sometimes they dive in places they see every day, like the free bridge or the Race Street bridge in Catasauqua. Other times, word of mouth leads them to other spots. Not all of the locations are dive-able, with some too far from any road or a place to park to bring in the necessary gear.
One of his favorite dives was in the Delaware Water Gap, where the river can go from about 30 feet to 50 feet in spots and gets really dark.
“That was beautiful. I was not expecting the visibility to be that good,” Schade said. By comparison, the Lehigh River gets dark at about 20 feet.
“It’s like going on the moon, except you don’t need a rocket,” he said.
Abandoned fishing lines are a common hazard, especially in the Lehigh. Schade and his diving friends have gotten tangled and needed to be cut free.
“It’s something that needs to be cleaned up. It’s out of hand,” he said.
Other hazards are rebar, flash floods and tree limbs. Branches in the water can turn into spider webs that trap a diver, and flash flooding not only changes the current, but affects visibility.
“Once you start getting zero visibility and you’re out there in chocolate milk with your buddy, you’ve got to get the hell out of there,” Schade said.
The rivers are full of fish, random trash and some treasures: hubcaps, car seats, tires, cellphones, old coins, even a pocket watch.
“Anything could be in that river. Anything, man,” he said. “I’ve seen so much stuff under there, I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
The rivers were especially busy last summer when most municipal pools were closed because of the coronavirus.
“People were exploring Mother Nature more, since they didn’t have these other places to go. We found a lot more stuff in the river last year. People were losing stuff left and right,” he said.
Right now, Schade said he’s sticking to exploring around the free bridge. He uploaded a new video Wednesday after diving friends helped guide him to the remnants of the old bridge.
“It’s unknown territory to us. There’s still plenty to be found down there. I’ve been told there’s abandon cars down there, and all that,” he said.
His latest video was up for less than a day and already more than 4,700 people had watched it.
The popularity has surprised him, but Schade said he would keep diving even if no one watched the videos.
“Now it’s finally taking off a little bit. I can’t believe it. It’s something else,” he said.
___
Online:
https://bit.ly/3meS3bZ
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