Ischia is a small volcanic island in the Gulf of Naples formed by the lavas of Mount Epomeo which today peaks at 787 meters.
Legend has it that Ischia was named by the Greeks Pithecusses (which comes from the Greek word “pithekos”, which means “monkey”) because Zeus would have changed its first inhabitants, brigands who robbed all those who landed on the island, into monkeys in order to free the place from such vile people.
Another legend has it that the giant Tifeo, son of Gaea and Tartarus, was imprisoned under the island following his defeat during a fight with Zeus who would have beaten him by throwing a mountain at him – creating by this gesture the island of Ischia. The seismic activity, the springs of hot water and the volcanic eruptions would only be the reflection of the anger and the breath of the giant which would try to free itself from the weight of the island. However, this legend also exists for Sicily and Mount Etna.
Another legend has it that it was on the shores of the island that Ulysses met Nausicaa. However, it seems, from more academic sources, that this encounter took place in Corfu.
One can still talk about legends in a time closer to us, since many idols of Hollywood have set foot on the land of Ischia. The island, renowned for its beauty and thermal springs, was already a popular vacation spot for the European aristocracy in the 19th century, but it was the publisher and film producer Angelo Rizzoli, who fell in love with the place, who turned Ischia into a stylish Summer destination in the early 1950s. He built a hospital, numerous hotels and thermal baths there and attracted many movie stars – both on vacation and on set.
Rizzoli is prolific: he notably produced “The Barefoot Contessa”, “La Dolce Vita”, “8 1⁄2” and it is a list that is very unrepresentative of his production.
Movies filmed in Ischia include “The Crimson Pirate” by Robert Siodmak, “Purple Noon” by René Clément and “Cleopatra” by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
It was in Ischia that the burning passion that arose between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was revealed to the world by the paparazzi.
More recently, “The Talented Mr. Ripley” by Anthony Minghella was filmed in Ischia.
Luchino Visconti had his Summer residence there, Villa Colombaia, and his ashes have been kept there since 2003.
The white Villa Colombaia
A museum is dedicated to Angelo Rizzoli at Villa Arbusto in Lacco Ameno.
To highlight the links that unite the island with cinema, a film festival was created in 2003 and it takes place every year from the end of June to the beginning of July on the tiny island of Castello Aragonese.
For the cinema lover that I am, I couldn’t choose a better destination for my Summer vacation.
The Castello Aragonese is located on a tiny island linked since the 15th century to the island of Ischia by a 220 meter long stone bridge. The small city housed two thousand families and had up to thirteen churches at the beginning of the 18th century
Sant Angelo is an old fishing village. Today dedicated to tourism, it is completely pedestrian
The church of Santa Maria del Soccorso, in Moorish and Byzantine style, is perched on the cliff of Forio. Although its foundations date from 1350, its current architecture dates from the 18th century
The little town of Forio is charming.
The island is absolutely enchanting and probably more authentic than Capri.
August 16, 2024
