A chronological reconstruction of the explosive activity of the south Italian volcanoes over the past 80 ka is proposed from the geochemical study of marine tephra, interbedded in deep-sea sediment cores collected in the central Mediterranean Sea. Chronology is derived from detailed oxygen-isotope analyses, and from correlation of the marine tephra with their terrestrial equivalent, dated by the classical radiometric methods. The origin of the ash-layers was determined by major-element analyses. Products of Mount Etna, the island of Pantelleria, the Eolian islands and the Campanian area were studied. On the island of Ischia, two distinct major periods of activity were observed, related to the “Green Tuff Series” from 62 to 50 ka and to the “Citara-Ciglio-Serrara Series” from 42 to 25 ka. In the Campi Flegrei, the periods of major explosive activity occurred between about 40 and 25 ka, referred to as the “Campanian Ignimbrite Series”, and during the past 16 ka, known as the “Neapolitan Yellow tuff and Agnano Series”. Geochemical and chronological investigations of the marine tephra suggest that such larger terrestrial deposits, as the “Green Tuff” of Mount Epomeo on Ischia island, or the “Campanian Ignimbrite” in the Campi Flegrei result from several distinct eruptions. The “Green Tuff” of Mount Epomeo would have originated from at least 2 large eruptions, dated at 55.4 ± 2.2 and 60.3 ± 2.2 ka. The formation of the “Campanian Ignimbrite” would be the result of 5 distinct eruptions, the most important occurring at 36, 33.5 and 26.9 ka. Finally, the geographical shift in the activity, as is observed particularly by the decrease in the explosive activity in the past 15 ka on the island of Ischia, matching the increase in the Campi Flegrei, suggests modifications of the tectonic context of the Campanian area.