ISCHIA IS THE LARGEST OF THE PHLEGREAN ISLANDS IN THE BAY OF NAPLES. ITS VOLCANIC ORIGIN IS THE CAUSE OF VARIOUS SEISMIC PHENOMENA WHICH HAVE CONTINUALLY ALTERED IT.THEY HAVE ALSO PRODUCED THE SALSO-IODIC AND RADIOACTIVE THERMAL WATERS AND MUDBATHS FOR WHICH THE ISLAND IS RENOWNED ALL OVER THE WORLD. ISCHIA A POPULAR FORM OF THE MEDIEVAL LATIN WORD "INSULA" WAS THE SITE OF ONE OF THE EARLIEST GREEK COLONIES IN ITALY. HOWEVER, IT WAS ALREADY INHABITED IN THE PREHISTORIC AGE: THE POTTERY ON SHOW IN THE MUSEUM OF FORIO CONFIRMS THIS. MAKING POTTERY WAS THEREFORE AN ACTIVITY WHICH PRE-DATED THE ARRIVAL OF THE GREEKS, WHO, BECAUSE OF THIS, CALLED THE ISLAND PITHECUSA. UNDER GREEKS, PITHECUSA HAD TRADING LINKS WITH THE WHOLE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN WORLD, ESPECIALLY WITH THE EGYPTIANS, PHOENICIANS AND ETRUSCANS. AFTER THE ERUPTION OF THE VOLCANO ROTARO, TODAY AN INNOCUOUS PINE-FOREST, THE GREEKS ABANDONED THE ISLAND IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY B.C. TO FOUND THE CITY OF CUMA. THE SYRACUSANS REPLACED THEM, AND THEN, AFTER FIVE CENTURIES, THE ROMANS, WHO CALLED THE ISLAND AENARIA. THE ROMANS NOT ONLY DISCOVERED THE THERMAL BATHS, WHICH MADE AENARIA A FAVOURITE SPOT FOR HEALTH-TREATMENT AND HOLIDAYS, BUT ALSO INTRODUCED METAL-WORKING. UNFORTUNATELY NO VISIBLE TRACES REMAIN OF THIS INDUSTRY, AT WHICH THE ISLANDERS EXCELLED: THE ANCIENT WORKSHOPS ARE NOW UNDERWATER.AT THAT TIME, NAPLES WAS AN INDEPENDENT CITY, WITH CONTROL OF CAPRI. CAPRI IS NOT OF VOLCANIC ORIGIN AND IS THEREFORE SAFER: AUGUSTUS GAVE AENARIA TO NAPLES IN EXCHANGE FOR CAPRI, AND SO THE LARGER ISLAND FOLLOWED THE FORTUNES OF NAPLES, BOTH GOOD AND BAD. THE ISLAND CAME TO BE KNOWN AS "ISCHIA" FROM THE TENTH CENTURY ONWARDS. IT COMPRISES SIX MUNICIPALITIES: ISCHIA PORTO, CASAMICCIOLA, BARANO, LACCO AMENO, FORIO, SERRARA FONTANA WITH ITS SMALL AND FASHIONABLE QUARTER, SANT'ANGELO. IT IS DOMINATED BY MONTE EPOMEO, 788 METRES HIGH, AND POSSESSES AN ENCHANTING AND VARIED COASTLINE, WITH EXCELLENT BEACHES, WINDINGS AND INLETS, ROCKY CREVICES AND JUTS, MAKING IT ONE OF THE MOST CAPTIVATING PLACES IN THE WORLD. SEEN FROM ABOVE, THE ROCKS OF SANT'ANNA ARE A SPECTACULAR SIGHT, BUT THE GREAT ROCK ON WHICH THE CASTLE STANDS IS EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE. FROM THIS ALTITUDE, NATURE AND HISTORY ARE INEXTRICABLY FUSED; IT IS DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH WHERE THE INFLUENCE OF ONE BEGINS AND THE OTHER LEAVES OFF. THE CASTLE WAS FIRST BUILT BY HIERON, THE TYRANT OF SYRACUSE, WHO HAD HELPED THE ISLANDERS TO DEFEND THEMSELVESAGAINST THE ETRUSCANS. THE ROCK AND CASTLE THEN PASSED INTO THE HANDS OF THE ROMANS, AND THEREAFTER THE BYZANTINES. IT WAS UNDER THE ANGEVINS THAT THE CASTLE TOOK ON A VITAL ROLE IN THE STRATEGIC DEFENCE OF THE BAY OF NAPLES. ALMOST NOTHING NOW REMAINS OF THE TOWERS ERECTED BY CHARLES I OF ANJOU INDEED, THE CASTLE HAS BEEN CONTINUALLY DEMOLISHED AND THEN REBUILT. ALFONSO OF ARAGON HAD THE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTED WHICH CONNECTS THE ROCK TO THE MAINLAND. HE ALSO BUILT THE GREAT RAMP OF TUFA WHICH ASCENDS TO THE VERY TOP OF THE CASTLE, STRENGTHENED THE WALLS, AND BUILT THE SQUARE TOWER ON THE SIDE FACING THE HARBOUR. HERE THE POETESS VITTORIA COLONNA AND THE "CONDOTTIERO" FERRANTE D'AVALOS, WHO HAD BECOME LORD OF THE CASTLE, WERE MARRIED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY AND LIVED HAPPILY TOGETHER. THE DOME WHICH STANDS OUT ABOVE THE WHOLE COMPLEX BELONGS TO THE CHURCH OF THE IMMACOLATA; TODAY IT IS USED AS A GALLERY FOR ART EXHIBITIONS. THE HUSES VISIBLE AT THE TOP OCCUPY THE SITE WHERE THE EARLIEST NUCLEUS OF BUILDINGS WAS CONSTRUCTED. TO VISIT THE REST OF THE CASTLE, HOWEVER THE CEMETERY OF THE POOR CLARES, FOR EXMPLE ONE MUST DESCEND AND CONTINUE ONE'S TOUR ON FOOT. OPPOSITE THE ARAGONESE CASTLE, AND FACING PROCIDA, WE CAN SEE THE ELLIPTICAL SHAPE OF THE HARBOUR, YET ANOTHER FORMED FROM AN EXTINCT VOLCANIC CRATER. IT WAS A LAKE UNTIL 1854, WHEN FERDINAND II OF BOUBON HAD A CHANNEL CUT THROUGH THE STRIP OF LAND DIVIDING IT FROM THE SEA, THUS TURNING IT, PROVIDENTIALLY, INTO A HARBOUR. THE ISLAND'S PRINCIPAL TOWN GREW UP ROUND IT. ISCHIA PORTO AND ISCHIA PONTE ARE THE TWO CENTRES WHICH TOGETHER FORM THE MUNICIPALITY OF ISCHIA UNLIKE ISCHIA PORTO, WHICH HAS BECOME A LIVELY AND FASHIONABLE QUARTER, THE FISHING VILLAGE OF ISCHIA PONTE REMAINS UNALTERED SINCE THE DAYS IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY WHEN THE CASTLE'S INHABITANTS DECIDED TO MOVE THERE. A THICK PINEWOOD, SWEETSMELLING AND QUIET, SEPARATES THE TWO CENTRES; FERDINAND II WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS PLANTATION. CONTINUING NORTHWARDS, WE SEE BELOW US WHAT WAS ONCE THE OLDEST THERMAL RESORT ONE THE ISLAND: CASAMICCIOLA. THIS LITTLE TOWN OWES ITS FAME TO THE HOT-WATER SPRINGS FOUND THERE. THEY ARE VERY NUMEROUS, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ARE THE SANTA RITA AND GURGITELLO SPRINGS, WHICH REACH A TEMPERATURE OF 60°C. HERE TOO IS THE CAVA BIANCA DEL MONACO, BUT HIDDEN FROM SIGHT: THIS IS WHERE THE THERAPEUTIC MUD USED IN TREATMENTS IS FOUND. MANY DISTINGUISHED PEOPLE HAVE STAYED AT CASAMICCIOLA TERME, INCLUDING HENRIK IBSEN, WHO WROTE PEER GYNT IN THE TRANQUIL VILLA PISANI. THE MOST LEGENDARY GUEST, HOWEVER, WAS THE CUMAEAN SIBYL, WHO CROSSED HERE FROM CUMA. APOLLO'S PROPHETESS, WHOSE VOICE, IN THE WORDS OF THE GREEK PHILOSOPHER HERACLITUS, "OUTREACHED THE MILLENNIA", FORETOLD THE BIRTH OF CHRIST FROM A CAVE IN CASTIGLIONE NEAR CASAMICCIOLA TERME. THE "PIETRA DEL VOIA", WHICH STILL SURVIVES ON THE HILL, IS PROOF: ON THIS ALTAR, OXEN WERE SACRIFICED TO APOLLO BY THE EARLIEST GREEK INHABITANTS. MICHELANGELO TOO KNEW ABOUT THE SIBYL'S EXTRAORDINARY PROPHECY. THE PAINTER HAD BEEN INVITED TO ISCHIA BY VITTORIA COLONNA, WITH WHOM HE WAS PLATONICALLY IN LOVE, AND WHO COMMISSIONED HIM TO REBUILD THE CASTLE'S PRINCIPAL TOWER. HE PAINTED THE PAGAN SIBYLS, ALONGSIDE THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS, ON THE CEILING OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL. UNFORTUNATELY, CASAMICCIOLA TERME WAS DESTROYED BY A TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE IN 1882. AMONG THE VICTIMES WERE THE PARENTS OF BENEDETTO CROCE. THE CURIOUS ROCK RISING UP OUT OF THE CRYSTA-CLEAR SEA IS THE FUNGO (MUSHROOM) OF LACCO AMENO, SO CALLED BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN ERODED BY THE SEA INTO THE RESENBLANCE OF A MUSHROOM. LACCO AMENO WAS THE SITE OF THE FIRST GREEK SETTLEMENT. THERE WAS NO HARBOUR AND THEY MUST HAVE LANDED IN THE BEAUTIFUL BAY OF SAN MONTANO, AT THE FOOT OF MONTE VICO, WHERE WE SUPPOSE THE ACROPOLIS TO HAVE BEEN BUILT, AND WHICH NOW PROVIDES A SUPERB BACKDROP TO THE HARBOUR. THE NECROPOLIS, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS LOCATED BELOW.