Number 3 in my “10 Global Hellgates” Series.
Lake Avernus is “a volcanic crater lake located in the Avernus crater in the Campania region of southern Italy, around 4 km (2.5 mi) west of Pozzuoli. It is near the volcanic field known as the Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei) and comprises part of the wider Campanian volcanic arc. The lake is roughly circular, measuring 2 km (1.2 mi) in circumference and 60 m (213 ft) deep.”
Its a site of pagan ritual & worship; having a rich mythology of gods, oracles, & sacrifices. Virgil wrote about it in “The Aeneid”. And was believed to be a doorway or gateway to the underworld.
Legend: Both Odysseus (Homer’s “Iliad”) & Aeneas (Virgil’s “Aeneid”) descended into the underworld to talk to the dead.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Avernus
Lake Avernus Mythology, Oracles, and Gods of the Underworld
TO HELL AND BACK
StarWolf Geek 