In 1906 the ash of Vesuvius buried almost everything: the roof of the mother church came down — luckily with no victims — and Matilde Serao, who wrote about it, called the place the new Pompeii. It had happened in 1631 and in 1779, and each time the town was rebuilt where it stood.
The name comes from the gens Octavia, Augustus's family, which held an enormous estate here; until 1933 it was spelled Ottajano, then changed for the two thousandth anniversary of the emperor's birth. The barons' castle, bought in 1567 by Bernardetto de' Medici, is now the Palazzo Mediceo and houses the headquarters of the Vesuvius national park. There are 23,543 residents.
Pizza Napoletana · Caprese
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Next up: Saint Michael the Archangel, patron among the most cherished feasts of the Vesuvius area, Saturday 8 May
Nearest airport: Napoli Capodichino, 16 km away
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📅 Every year, on 8 May; the Procession of the Holy Cross is held on 3 May
Ottaviano celebrates Saint Michael the Archangel on 8 May, one of the most important feasts in the whole Vesuvius area, included in the Milan Expo 2015 circuit; on 3 May, instead, the Procession of the Holy Cross is held, with the precious relics kept in the collegiate church of San Michele.
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Outside Ottaviano, but an easy day trip away.
