00:29 14-12-2025

Inside old volcanoes: real life in craters and calderas

Generated by DALL·E

Why people in Italy and Indonesia live in ancient volcanic craters and calderas: fertile soils, managed risk, and constant scientific monitoring on the ground.

It seems unbelievable that anyone could lead an everyday life where molten lava once seethed. We’re used to seeing volcanoes only as a source of danger, yet in some countries people not only settle nearby—they put up homes right inside ancient craters.

Why do they choose such places? How does life unfold in territories once ravaged by the elements? And what keeps residents there despite the risk?

Not in the fire, but in the crater

To grasp the phenomenon, it helps to clarify terms. A crater is a depression at the top of a volcano. After especially powerful eruptions, huge basins—calderas—can form. Over time, they turn into quiet valleys with green trees, small settlements, and kitchen gardens.

These are exactly the sites people pick for settlements. We are not talking about houses above boiling lava: life takes root within the larger footprints of past eruptions, where volcanic activity has long subsided.

Italy: a city within a sleeping volcano

A vivid example is the Campi Flegrei area near Naples. This sprawling, ancient caldera encompasses, among other places, the city of Pozzuoli. Locals are used to what goes on underground: the ground sometimes rises or sinks, mild tremors occur, and steam and gases seep from cracks.

Scientists keep a close eye on the situation and have recorded increased activity in recent years. Still, residents stay: it’s their homes and routines, plus fertile soils and a convenient location. Property is also cheaper in such districts, which matters.

Indonesia: volcanoes everywhere

Indonesia is one of the most volcanically active countries on the planet. About 75% of its population lives within a hundred kilometers of a volcano, and for many that still isn’t far—houses often appear right next to active giants.

On Sumatra stands Mount Sinabung. Long dormant, it has in recent years shown regular activity: eruptions, ash clouds, evacuations. Yet people keep coming back—leaving only temporarily. The reason is simple: it is their land, the place where they grow vegetables, graze livestock, and live their ordinary lives. Residents know what to do if danger looms, and over time life beside a volcano becomes part of the routine.

Why don’t they leave?

From the outside, this proximity can look like an unjustified gamble. But volcanic soils bring clear benefits: rich earth, a mild climate, a sense of home and belonging. For many, leaving would mean losing not just territory but the foundation of their lives.

The danger, meanwhile, feels distant—especially when alternatives are scarce.

And right inside the crater—does anyone live there?

Despite eye‑catching headlines, there is no confirmed information that people live directly inside an active crater. That would be too risky. Settlements typically sit in safer zones of old craters or at the foot of volcanoes.

So the perfect “house in the maw” remains more an image than a reality. Life within ancient depressions is real enough—just not in the very heart of the fiery force.

Dangerous, yet familiar

Scientists continue to monitor volcanic activity, especially in densely populated areas. Even when warnings sound, some residents stay. Habit plays its part, as do deep attachments and the belief that a real disaster still won’t strike.

For people in volcanic regions of Italy and Indonesia, this proximity has long since become normal. Some were born there, others built homes and run farms—and all of them keep living beside a volcano, accepting risk as part of reality.

It is a life that is not simple, at times dangerous, yet sensible in its own way. The land is generous, houses stand for decades, and if the volcano is quiet, people simply carry on. While the force of nature slumbers, life goes on as usual.