William Hamilton, an English diplomat in Naples to the Kingdom of The Two Sicilies, was a great collector of art with a passion for archaeology. His interest in the natural sciences soon turned to volcanology. He forwarded his first notes to the Royal Society in London, which admitted him as a Fellow in 1767. In 1776 an edition of his reports with 54 plates appeared under the title »Campi Phlegraei«.
The original drawings by the artist Pietro Fabris served as a basis for etchings that were then hand coloured. The colours of the aquarelles and gouaches in the State Library’s copy have retained an astonishing brilliance.
This richly illustrated work was the first to convey a realistic impression of volcanic eruptions, using both words and pictures.