The Isle of Capri (KA-pree), located just 3 miles off the tip of the Sorrentine peninsula, is one of the loveliest & best known resorts in Italy. The dramatic island thrusting upward from the sea has sweeping views, steep & narrow winding lanes, many lined with whitewashed homes & villas with flower-filled courtyards, & of course, lemon trees. The small island extends over an area of 12 sq kms & is just 3 kms wide. The source of the island’s name is not certain - it’s either a Greek word for a wild boar, or a Latin word for goats ;o)
During the busy season, which runs from Easter to the end of October, it is completely overrun with throngs of international tourists & vacationing Italians, arriving every day to soak up the romantic atmosphere & gorgeous scenery. Touring the island is relatively simple. You arrive at the harbor in Marina Grande on the north side of the island, then you take the funicular up to the main town of Capri, then it’s a short but wild bus ride farther up to Anacapri, the 3rd major community on the island. You can even climb all the way up using the ancient Phoenician steps, 500 of them.
There are several other major sights or attractions we didn’t have time to visit while we were there. One was the Blue Grotto*, one of the 60 caves on the island & the island's biggest attraction. It’s a sea cavern where the refracted sunlight through an underwater opening creates a dramatic azure blue color in the cavern. Apparently, the effect is stunning. In summer, boats to the entrance of the grotto leave frequently from the harbor at Marina Grande. Once at the grotto, you'll pay again for a small rowboat that takes you inside the cavern. It is one of the best-known natural sights of the region, although visitors complain that they are hustled in & out making it a tourist trap.
Another popular excursion, which was at the top of my list, time permitting, was a boat trip around the entire island (about 1.5 hours). On the north side of the island you would pass the Blue Grotto* near the NW corner, then the ruins of Damecuta Villa* & the Baths of Tiberius on the upper west side. Also on the west side are 3 forts which might merit a separate visit*. The lighthouse & beach at Punta Carena* is in the SW corner of the island. (Lido Faro is one of the few beaches you can reach by bus so it’s often crowded.) On the south side of the island you would pass by the lesser known Green Grotto, the fishing village & beach of Marina Piccola#, & the much-photographed Faraglioni Rocks. (Many famous people & wealthy pop stars have villas in Marina Piccola. The best hotel in Capri, the Hotel Punta Tragara, with an amazing view over the Faraglioni Rocks, is also here.) If you refer to the Capri map I have included, you will notice many grottos on the east side of the island, & two villas. One of them is Villa Jovis*, now in ruins, the most spectacular of Tiberius’ 12 villas, & a 3rd villa just around the cape at the NE corner. If the sea is calm, I think this would be a perfect way to see the island, at least from a sea perspective ;o) *More info & great photos on these sites can be found here: http://www.capri.net/en/what-to-see # Marina Piccola: http://www.capri.com/en/marina-piccola
A little History: Caesar Augustus was the first to discover the charm of Capri when he visited the island in 29 BCE. He was so taken with its beauty that he traded the nearby fertile Ischia for it with the city of Naples. He was followed by his successor Tiberius who embarked on an ambitious building program between 27 & 37 AD when he constructed 12 villas. The first inhabitants to settle in Capri, however, were the Greeks who came in the 8th Century BCE. Today, only the fortified walls of an ancient Greek acropolis (in Capri town) testify to their presence on the island.
The political events that unfolded in Naples with the consecutive rise to power of the Angevin, Aragonese, Spanish & Bourbon dynasties between the 6th & 19th centuries, had few repercussions on the island itself. When exposed to the threat of Muslim attacks, they were left to fend for themselves. Their only defense was to flea their homes around the marina & take refuge in the island’s uplands. With few natural resources & a population decimated by pirate raids & pestilence, the plight of the islanders was further aggravated in the 17th & 18th centuries by the rivalry that emerged between the island's two Communes, Capri & Anacapri, regarding jurisdiction.
The French completed the island's fortifications & remained there until the fall of Napoleon & the restoration of the Bourbons in 1815. It was only then that Capri finally emerged from its long hibernation, ready to embrace the romanticism of the 19th century. It was during this time that the island's magical solitude & rustic simplicity first began to attract visitors, & it soon became the favorite seasonal haunt & residence of foreign artists, writers & poets. (The island’s 1st hotel, the Hotel Pagano, opened in 1826.) But it wasn't until after the Russian-Japanese war of 1905 & the subsequent exodus of Russian intellectuals that Capri really established itself as a literary & political refuge.
The history of Capri is well documented on the web, especially on this site: http://www.capri.net/en/history
Comments
Add a comment