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Ischia
Ischia is one of the most beautiful islands
in the Mediterranean Sea, and the
largest in the gulf of Naples. Strategically
positioned around N 40° 44’ – E 13° 55’
with an area of 46 sq km, the Island has
a resident population of almost 57.000
inhabitants. Ischia is also known as the
green island thanks to the chestnut and
pine woods sloping down the fl anks of
Mount Epomeo, an inactive volcano, to
the seashore. The scenery is astonishing:
gardens, fields and vineyards, where
our famous wine grapes grow, feeding
one’s eyes with rainbow colours and ever
changing landscapes.
As you travel the island, you will come
across springs of fresh and thermal water.
These are the island’s oil. According to
ancient myth, the springs are the tears
of Typhoeus, a rebel Titan imprisoned by
Zeus in the bowels of the island. The many
therapeutic spas, sunny beaches, abundant
nature and traditional food are nowadays
the basis of the island’s economy.
For centuries visitors have fallen in love
with the island and indeed have fallen
in love on it also. Its warm, relaxing
climate and its familiar though exotic
surroundings, impart a wonderful feeling
of well-being.
Since the VIII century BC, Ischia has
seemed to many an ideal place to live
and a natural stopover for sailors, starting with the ancient Greeks who chose this
island to establish the fi rst western colony
in the Med. The Romans came next, who
discovered the healing properties of the
spa building “health and beauty” facilities,
still working today after more than 2000
years. In the following centuries, like
much of the Naples’ Region, Ischia has
seen many different “rulers”: Barbarians,
Saracens, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese,
Austrians, French and so on.
Their leaders were here to exploit local
resources but, at the same time, they left
something of their habits and culture,
thereby contributing to the richness of
the Neapolitan people’s character and
appreciation of the arts.
More recently, back in the Fifties, a
prominent Italian fi lm producer, Angelo
Rizzoli, landed in Lacco Ameno with his
150’ motor yacht “Sereno” (peaceful).
His intuition and his business skills turned
Ischia into a favourite spa resort for artists,
movie stars, and royalty from all over the
world.
The Island also became the setting for
many movies and a healing escape for VIP’s
like Mr. Onassis and Maria Callas, famous
actors such as William Holden, Esther
Williams, Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor and
Burt Lancaster, and fi lm directors such as
Luchino Visconti, who owned a fabulous
mansion hidden in the countryside.
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