fiogf49gjkf0d ISCHIA
THE LARGEST OF THE NEAPOLITAN ISLANDS, LIES OFF
THE SOUTHERN ARM OF THE GULF OF NAPLES, ABOUT 10
KM. FROM THE MAINLAND.
WITH VOLCANIC ORIGINS, IT HAS PREVALENTLY
MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, WITH MOUNT EPOMEO THE
HIGHEST PEAK, REACHING 788 M.
THE COASTLINE IS VERY JAGGED WITH FASCINATING
PROMONTORIES AND ENCHANTING COVES, STUPENDOUS
BAYS AND ROMANTIC CREEKS, SOME OF WHICH ARE ONLY
ACCESSIBLE BY BOAT.
ALREADY SETTLED IN NEOLITHIC TIMES, THE ISLAND
WAS COLONIZED BY THE GREEKS IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY
BC, WHO FOUNDED PITHECUSA *OR PITHECUSSAE*, THE
FIRST HELLENIC SETTLEMENT IN THE GULF OF NAPLES,
LATER IT WAS CONQUERED BY THE ROMANS AND CALLED
AENARIA.
THE ROMANS PREFERRED IT AS A HOLIDAY CENTER FOR
THE MILDNESS OF ITS CLIMATE AND THE PRESENCE OF
MANY THERMAL SPRINGS OF EXTRAORDINARY THERAPEUTIC
EFFICACY.
THERE FOLLOWED BARBARIAN INVASIONS AND SUCCESSIVE
DOMINATION.
IN 558 THE BYZANTINE EMPEROR MAURICE SUBJECTED IT
TO NAPLES AND FROM THEN ON ITS DESTINY WAS LINKED
TO THAT OF THE CITY.
TODAY THE ISLAND IS DIVIDED INTO 6 VILLAGE AREAS
ISCHIA, WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CENTER, WITH
TWO WARDS ISCHIA PONTE, THE OLD SEA VILLAGE, AND
ISCHIA PORTO, THE MOST MODERN AND EXCLUSIVE AREA.
THEN, FORIO, BARANO, CASAMICCIOLA TERME, LACCO
AMENO AND SERRARA FONTANA. CALLED THE GREEN
ISLAND, BECAUSE OF ITS LUSH MEDITERRANEAN
VEGETATION THAT TYPIFIES IT, AND THE ISLAND OF
HEALTH, FOR THE WEALTH AND QUALITY OF ITS THERMAL
SPRINGS, ISCHIA IS ONE OF THE MOST VISITED
DESTINATIONS FOR TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER THE
WORLD, ATTRACTED BY THE FASCINATION OF A PLACE
THAT EMBRACES NATURE, CULTURE, TRADITION AND
MODERNITY, HISTORY AND MYTH.
THE ARAGONESE CASTLE - SCOGLIO
A 228 M. LONG STONE BRIDGE, BUILT ON THE ORDERS
OF ALFONSO OF ARAGON IN 1438, CONNECTS ISCHIA
PONTE TO THE SCOGLIO, THE ROUND ISLET JUST OFF
THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF THE ISLAND.
ALSO CALLED THE ARAGONESE CASTLE, OWING TO THE
PRESENCE OF AN IMPOSING TOWER ON ITS HIGHEST
PART.
THE SCOGLIO, NOWADAYS PRIVATE PROPERTY, CAN BE
VISITED EVERY DAY.
THERE IS A CONVENIENT ELEVATOR FOR THOSE WHO
PREFER NOT TO FOLLOW THE FOOTPATH WITH VARIOUS
TERRACES FROM WHERE BREATHTAKING VIEWS CAN BE
ENJOYED.
SERRARA FONTANA
THE VILLAGE OF SERRARA FONTANA, STANDING ON THE
SOUTHWESTERN SIDE OF THE ISLAND OF ISCHIA, IS
MADE UP OF TWO CENTERS, SERRARA AND FONTANA THE
LATTER, SITUATED AT 452 M. ABOVE SEA LEVEL, IS
THE HIGHEST INHABITED PLACE ON THE ISLAND, AND IS
AN IDEAL STARTING POINT FOR THE WAY UP MOUNT
EPOMEO, ON THE SLOPES OF WHICH ARE THE CHURCH OF
S. NICOLA AND THE HERMITAGE, BOTH CARVED OUT OF
THE TUFACEOUS ROCK, AND THEREFORE VERY
FASCINATING.
MOREOVER, LOVELY SANT*ANGELO IS VERY INTERESTING,
SINCE IT HAS MAINTAINED THE TYPICAL AIR OF A
SEAFARING VILLAGE, GIVING VISITORS AN INSIGHT
INTO THE ANCIENT SOUL OF ISCHIA.
MADE UP OF SMALL COLORFUL HOUSES, GROUPED ON TOP
OF ONE ANOTHER, WITH LANES THAT COME TO LIFE
ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENINGS, THANKS TO THE MANY
BARS AND SMALL RESTAURANTS, IN WHICH THE
APPETIZING ISLAND FOOD CAN BE ENJOYED, THE
VILLAGE IS AN EXCLUSIVE TOURIST BATHING AND SPA
RESORT.
CASAMICCIOLA TERME
THE VILLAGE OF CASAMICCIOLA TERME STANDS ON THE
NORTHERN COAST OF THE ISLAND OF ISCHIA.
OWING TO THE PLENTIFUL THERMAL SPRINGS, BELONGING
TO TWO MAIN GROUPS, CALLED GURGITELLO*S AND
RITA*S, AND TO THE MILDNESS OF THE CLIMATE, IT
WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES ON THE ISLAND TO
DEVELOP TOURISM.
THE OLDEST SPA BUILDING DATES BACK TO 1604,
FOUNDED BY THE GOVERNORS OF THE PIO MONTE OF THE
MISERICORDIA OF NAPLES, IT WAS RESERVED TO THE
NEEDY AND THE RELIGIOUS OF THE CITY.
DURING THE EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH CENTURY IT
BECAME A FAMOUS HOLIDAY RESORT, BUT CASAMICCIOLA
TERME WAS DESTROYED BY A VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE IN
1883 AND, LATER, WAS REBUILT NEAR THE SEA.
NOWADAYS IT IS ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN AND VISITED
AREAS OF THE ISLAND, SEVERAL SPAS HAVING THEIR
SEAT HERE.
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