THE EARTH PERCOLATES IN THIS PLACE northwest of Naples called the “Phlegrean Fields” or “Burning Fields.” Steam rises from volcanic craters and lakes. The Tyrrhenian Sea is the backdrop for ruins of temples and a trapezoidal-shaped forty-foot tunnel that leads to a chamber where poets say there lived the mysterious and powerful Cumaean Sibyl. Archaeologists say the tunnel was built as a defense structure, but what fun is that?

If you’re a Sopranos fan you’ll recognize this Cumae cave from a Season 2 episode. Annalisa Zucca, that bombshell of a mafia boss, brought Tony to this otherworldly spot to discuss family business. As they walked through the shadowy cave, the sexual tension between the two of them sizzled.

According to myth, thousands of years ago another bombshell of a young maiden was wandering around here and caught the eye of Apollo, God of the Sun. To win her over, Apollo threw her the “Your wish is my command” line. The maiden pointed to a pile of sand and said, “I wish to live as many years as those grains of sand.” So Apollo gave her one thousand years of life, but she still wouldn’t put out. To get back at her he found a loophole—she hadn’t asked for youth. That’s the reason why through most of her long life the Cumaean Sibyl was a bent over, warty old gal. In her later years, she shriveled into a small ball and hung like a bat in a jar from a tree. Kids would stand below her, taunting and asking: “What do you want, Sibyl?” Only her croaking voice was left and her answer was always: “I want to die!”

Apollo, who kept a soft spot for her, gave her the gift of prophecy. She was a sneaky one, writing enigmatic prophecies on oak leaves and leaving them on her cave’s ledge. Often they were scattered to the winds, driving those looking for her answers crazy.

The poet Virgil wrote about the Cumaean Sibyl in the Aeneid, in a dramatic sequence where she inhales the smoke from burning laurel leaves and then “with wild hair, breast heaving, and foaming mouth” bellows to Aeneas that there’s more trouble ahead for him.

All poor Aeneas wanted was to see his dead father. The Sibyl put him through a rigmarole of having to find a golden bough and burning animals in sacrifice. She finally escorted him into Hades, through a convenient door nearby in the foul-smelling, bubbling Lake Averno. The two of them rode across the River Styx and eventually got to Elysium, The Land of Joy, where Aeneas and his father had a tear-filled reunion.

Going to Cumae, you’ll be visiting one of Italy’s oldest settlements, founded by the Greeks in the eighth century B.C., way before Naples existed. It’s free of tourist crowds, and marvelous to climb up curving, softly shaded paths, surrounded by bird songs and wild vegetation. Winding up from the cave, first you discover ruins of the Temple of Apollo, then a stone circle where Goddess Diana was once worshipped. At the top of the hill is the Temple of Jupiter. Settle in to the tranquil beauty, where the views of Cape Misenum inspire mythic thoughts.

Sito Archeologico di Cuma: Open from 9 until one hour before sunset, www.pafleg.it.

TIP: Vesuvius vs. Pompeii offers excellent private tours here, as well as in and around Naples. www.vesuviusvspompeii.com

Golden Day: Go to the Sito Archeologico di Cuma, by car is best, and hiring a guide is recommended. Back in Naples, eat at Da Dora (Via Ferdinando Palasciano 30, 081 680519), where the house seafood pasta is divine and the soulful music on weekends may leave you teary-eyed.