The islands above Capri

by amalficoasting.org

Nisida
A volcanic islet part of the Flegrean Islands archipelago,
Nisida is just a few miles o the
tip of Cape Posillipo, North of
Naples. Its name comes from the
Greek for "islet" (small island),
for which the Latinized accusative was Nesida. Almost circular,
with a ooded crater forming
the bay of Porto Paone on the
southwest coast, it is connected
to the mainland by a stone
bridge.
Lucius Licinius Lucullus and
Marcus Iunius Brutus had their
villas there. Cicero's letters
record him visiting Brutus there,
and it was in that island that
Brutus's wife Porcia, the daughter of Cato Uticensis, committed
suicide. In fact, some claim that
some of archaeological remains
on Nisida are, indeed, those of
the villa of Brutus.
In the 19th century, Nisida
was the site of an infamous

prison that gained notoriety

when William Ewart Gladstone
wrote his Two Letters to the
Earl of Aberdeen on the State
Prosecutions of the Neapolitan
Government, exposing its harsh
conditions. In those letters,
Gladstone coined the now famous description of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies as "the
negation of God erected into a
system of Government."
During the World War II, the
island was occupied by British
Army and again used as a prison
facility.The connections between the island and Britain
may begin in the 7th century
with Hadrian or Adrian of Canterbury, abbot of Christchurch,
Canterbury. Bede records that
he was a Greek-speaking Berber
from North Africa, who was
abbot of a monastery near
Naples. The name of the
monastery varies with dierent
textual traditions between
monasterium Niridanum and
Hiridanum.

Procida, the smallest and least

known of Neapolitan islands,
has kept its Mediterranean identity unaltered and is an ideal
destination for those seeking an
out-of-the-way holiday, far from
the mass tourism routes.
The rich vegetation that acts
as backdrop for the Mediterranean architecture, the pristine
and splendid sea and the beautiful boulders of the coast, all
make for unusual and exciting
scenery.

Procida, the Castle

Compared to Ischia and Capri,

Procida still today is fascinating
for its quiet streets, the vivid colors of the ancient buildings and
the villages clinging to the rocks
above the little ports. Its name
probably derives from the Latin
name Prochyta, which comes
from Prima Cyme, meaning
'near Cuma'. According to another theory, Prochyta comes
from the Greek verb prokeitai,
meaning 'it lies forth', because of
the appearance of the island
seen from the sea.

Nisida, Procida & Ischia

Nisida, Procida & Ischia

Nisida, Procida & Ischia

Procida

PROCIDA
1 Marina Grande,
2 Castello
3 Belvedere
4 Marina di Chiaiolella,
5 Procida Lido
6 Pozzo Vecchio,
7 Vivara,
8 Abbazia di San Michele Arcangelo
ISCHIA

1 Castello Aragonese
2 Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
3 Museo Archeologico di Pithecusa
4 Chiesa di Santa Restituita
5 Chiesa di Santa Maria del Soccorso
6 Museo Civico del Torrione
7 Citara
8 Villa La Mortella
9 Sant'Angelo,
10 Panza
11 Serrara Fontana
12 Barano d'lschia
13 Monte Epomeo
14 Eremo di San Nicola

Procida, beach of Pozzo Vecchio

Ischia was the rst Greek settlement in the Tyrrhenian Sea,

founded in the 8th century B.C.,
with the name of Pithekousa (island of the 'pithoi', or clay vases).
The Castello Aragonese (#1), or
Aragonese Castle, built by Hiero
of Syracuse in 474 B.C. in Ischia
Ponte, is the most visited monThe largest island in the Gulf ument on the island.
of Naples and a very popular
Once atop, be sure not to miss
destination, Ischia is visited in the Cattedrale di Santa Maria
all seasons, thanks to its partic- Assunta (#2) where, in 1509, Ferrante dAvalos and Vittoria
ularly mild climate.
Apart from the attraction of Colonna exchanged their vows.
its beautiful scenery, due to a Inside is a crypt holding frescoes
breathtaking landscape of val- by the Giotto school painters.
The collection of the Museo
leys, hills, clis, woods and
beaches, the island is known for Archeologico di Pinthacusa
its thermal baths. The thermal (#3), or Archaelogical Museum
wealth of the island is in fact im- of Pithecusa, located in Villa Armense: there are 29 basins and busto, includes the famous
hundreds of mineral springs.
Coppa di Nestore or Nestor's
visiting is the Abbazia di San
Michele Arcangelo, (8), or Abbey
of San Michele Arcangelo, which
had a central role in Procida's religious and cultural history.

Ischia

Procida, port of Corricella

one upon the other. Its intertwining alleys make it seem like
a natural stage setting.
Marina di Chiaiolella (#4), a
lovely semicircular inlet closed
by the old Santa Margherita
promontory, is the best place for
swimming, while the Procida
Lido (#5) is much busier with
bathers. Another beach worth
visiting is the one at Pozzo Vecchio (#6), seen in scenes from
the movie Il Postino.
A long bridge connects la Chiaiolella with the islet of Vivara
(#7), a WWF-protected oasis
that can visited only with a permit from the town. Also worth

Ischia

Nisida, Procida & Ischia

Nisida, Procida & Ischia

5

The Port of Sancio Cattolico,

also known as Marina Grande
(#1 on the map of Procida), is
where the boats that arrive
from Naples and Pozzuoli
dock. The brightly colored
houses that face the sea are the
rst images that welcome the
visitor.
This shing village is dominated by the Castello (#2), or
Castle that sits on the top of a
sheer cli overlooking the sea,
on the inside of the highest
part of the island, Terra Murata, heart of the island.
The town, which encloses
medieval houses with courtyards and gardens, churches,
buildings and a castle, has remained more or less intact for
three hundred years.
The view of the Belvedere (#3)
is enchanting while the small
port of Corricella is very characteristic, with its delightful architecture of intricate little houses

Ischia, chiesa del Soccorso

on the island. Near Forio is the

spectacular garden of Villa La
Mortella (#8), home of the composer Sir William Walton. On
the southern part of the island is
Sant'Angelo (#9), a tiny, enchanting former shing village
that became an elegant tourist
center.
Inland are Panza (#10), in a
lovely panoramic position, Serrara Fontana (#11), from which
excursions to Mount Epomeo
depart, and Barano d'lschia
(#12), on the hills that descend
to the wide beach of Maronti.
Mount Epomeo (#13), which
gives the island its unmistakable
shape, dominates the coast
below oerings breathtaking
views over the Gulf of Naples.
Once on the summit, a visit to
the 15th centuryHermitage of
San Nicola (#14), entirely carved
into tufa rock, is recommended.

Nisida, Procida & Ischia

Nisida, Procida & Ischia

7

Cup.
From the crypt of the nearby
Chiesa di Santa Restituita (#4),
one enters the excavations of a
paleo-Christian basilica. The
museum's relics tell the story of
the island from the time of the
Greeks to the rst Christians.
The hamlet of Forio holds on
to its strong tradition of a much
less visited sherman's village.
Here, on a rocky outcrop, the
Chiesa Santa Maria del Soccorso (#5) stands out, with its
tradition of local architecture intact. Sunset here, with the reected red light of the blazing
sun burning the white walls of
the church, is a unique experience. A 5th century tower dominates the center of town and is
home to the Museo Civico del
Torrione (#6), or Civic Museum.
The renown beach of Citara
(#7) is one of the most beautiful