Mount Vesuvius is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about 5.6 mi east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, Stabiae, and several other settlements. The eruption ejected a cloud of stones, ashes, and volcanic gases to a height of 21 mi, erupting molten rock and pulverized pumice. More than 1,000 people are thought to have died in the eruption.

Source: Wikipedia