A HISTORY OF ISCHIA
Nestor's Cup, Villa Arbusto Museum in Lacco Ameno
A HISTORY OF ISCHIA
A look back at the history of Ischia starting from 700BC when it was discovered by the Greeks and then through to the Roman times, attacks by pirates in the middle ages, warring republics, the Risorgimento and finally on to modern times.
mythology - the story of tifeo (typhon/typheus)
Whilst you're enjoying your trip to Ischia by lounging around at one of the thermal spas, hanging out at the beach or relaxing with a cool cocktail, it may be worth giving a fleeting thought to Ischia's turbulent beginnings.....
According to mythology, the monster known as Tifeo (this is the local name but you may also find him named as Typhon or Typheus), angry with Zeus for the imprisonment of the Titans, sought to destroy the "Father of Gods and Men". Tifeo, a monstrous figure with flames gushing from his mouth and carrying a hundred dragon heads under his arms, did battle with Zeus and was almost victorious in his quest. Tifeo disabled Zeus by cutting through the sinews of his hands and feet, disarming Zeus of his most potent weapon - his thunderbolts. However, Zeus, with the aid of his son Hermes who restores his sinews, eventually overcomes Tifeo and as a punishment condemns the giant to imprisonment underneath the island of Ischia (as it is known today), and leaves Tifeo to vent his anger with earthquakes, flames and boiling hot water.
As a testament to Tifeo's presence beneath the island, there are various towns named after parts of his body such as "Panza" which is local dialect for stomach and "Ciglio", meaning eyelid.
According to mythology, the monster known as Tifeo (this is the local name but you may also find him named as Typhon or Typheus), angry with Zeus for the imprisonment of the Titans, sought to destroy the "Father of Gods and Men". Tifeo, a monstrous figure with flames gushing from his mouth and carrying a hundred dragon heads under his arms, did battle with Zeus and was almost victorious in his quest. Tifeo disabled Zeus by cutting through the sinews of his hands and feet, disarming Zeus of his most potent weapon - his thunderbolts. However, Zeus, with the aid of his son Hermes who restores his sinews, eventually overcomes Tifeo and as a punishment condemns the giant to imprisonment underneath the island of Ischia (as it is known today), and leaves Tifeo to vent his anger with earthquakes, flames and boiling hot water.
As a testament to Tifeo's presence beneath the island, there are various towns named after parts of his body such as "Panza" which is local dialect for stomach and "Ciglio", meaning eyelid.
settlement of pithecusae by the greeks - circa 700bc
Greek artefacts at Villa Arbusto
Around 770BC, the island that we know today as Ischia was settled by colonisers from the Greek island of Euboea. The Euboeans used the island for trade with the Etruscans on today's Italian mainland.
The first name given to the island was Pithecusae and there are several theories as to why this name was chosen. Folklore suggests that the island was named after the ancient Greek word "Pithekos", meaning "Monkey", due to a belief that the island was inhabited by the animals at the time. However, most modern theologians will attest that the name of the island in fact derives from the ancient Greek word "Pithos", which is a type of terracotta jug that the Euboeans produced and traded with the Etruscans.
The acropolis of Monte Vico on the North-Western part of the island was the place that the Euboean's chose to make their first settlement, probably due to the natural harbour which allowed for successful trading and offered security from would-be invaders. Archeological digs around the area have recovered artefacts from the Bronze, Mycenaean and Iron ages and it is estimated that at its peak, Pithecusae was home to around 10,000 inhabitants.
Of all the artefacts found on the island, there is no doubt that the most important was "Nestor's Cup". The cup, made of clay was found during an excavation of a tomb on the island in 1954. The cup is inscribed with the Euboean alphabet and is one of the most important archeological finds that attests to poetry of the time with its reference to "The Iliad". The inscription on the cup reads - "This is Nestor's cup from which it is pleasant to drink, but the one who drinks form this cup will suddenly fall in love with Aphrodite and her beautiful crown". The cup is now one of the prime exhibits at Villa Arbusto Museum in Lacco Ameno.
In 474BC, the Greek colony of Cumae, just a short distance from Pithecusae on the mainland, joined forces with Hierone I, otherwise known as "The Tyrant of Syracuse" and defeated the naval force of the Etruscans. From that point onwards, Hierone occupied Pithecusae and its neighbouring islands and then installed a garrison to protect one of his hard-fought spoils. However, the garrison fled and the island was eventually taken over by the Neopolitans.
Around 322BC the Romans seized Pithecusae (as well as Naples), and a new dawn began in the island's story....
The first name given to the island was Pithecusae and there are several theories as to why this name was chosen. Folklore suggests that the island was named after the ancient Greek word "Pithekos", meaning "Monkey", due to a belief that the island was inhabited by the animals at the time. However, most modern theologians will attest that the name of the island in fact derives from the ancient Greek word "Pithos", which is a type of terracotta jug that the Euboeans produced and traded with the Etruscans.
The acropolis of Monte Vico on the North-Western part of the island was the place that the Euboean's chose to make their first settlement, probably due to the natural harbour which allowed for successful trading and offered security from would-be invaders. Archeological digs around the area have recovered artefacts from the Bronze, Mycenaean and Iron ages and it is estimated that at its peak, Pithecusae was home to around 10,000 inhabitants.
Of all the artefacts found on the island, there is no doubt that the most important was "Nestor's Cup". The cup, made of clay was found during an excavation of a tomb on the island in 1954. The cup is inscribed with the Euboean alphabet and is one of the most important archeological finds that attests to poetry of the time with its reference to "The Iliad". The inscription on the cup reads - "This is Nestor's cup from which it is pleasant to drink, but the one who drinks form this cup will suddenly fall in love with Aphrodite and her beautiful crown". The cup is now one of the prime exhibits at Villa Arbusto Museum in Lacco Ameno.
In 474BC, the Greek colony of Cumae, just a short distance from Pithecusae on the mainland, joined forces with Hierone I, otherwise known as "The Tyrant of Syracuse" and defeated the naval force of the Etruscans. From that point onwards, Hierone occupied Pithecusae and its neighbouring islands and then installed a garrison to protect one of his hard-fought spoils. However, the garrison fled and the island was eventually taken over by the Neopolitans.
Around 322BC the Romans seized Pithecusae (as well as Naples), and a new dawn began in the island's story....
enaria, "land of wines" - the romans arrive
Under Roman control and occupation, the name of Pithecusae given by the Greeks was discarded in favour of "Enaria", meaning "Land of Wine" due to its excellent vineyards and their produce.
Augustus, the founder of the Roman Empire and its first Emperor made an agreement with the Neapolitans to exchange the newly-named Enaria for its smaller neighbour Capri in 6AD. Despite Enaria's rich hot springs, something that the Roman's usually valued very highly, the Emperor was thought to be discouraged by the island's recent history of volcanic eruptions and so decided on the exchange with Capri. Once transferred to Neopolitan rule, Enaria suffered from Barbarian invasions, first from the Heruli, an Eastern Germanic tribe, and then again by the Ostrogoths from the Baltic regions and eventually became part of the Eastern Roman Empire.
It was during this period in the island's history that it was given another new name, and the one that still stands today - Ischia. The name is thought to be a derivative of the term "insula major" ("island par excellence" in English).
Augustus, the founder of the Roman Empire and its first Emperor made an agreement with the Neapolitans to exchange the newly-named Enaria for its smaller neighbour Capri in 6AD. Despite Enaria's rich hot springs, something that the Roman's usually valued very highly, the Emperor was thought to be discouraged by the island's recent history of volcanic eruptions and so decided on the exchange with Capri. Once transferred to Neopolitan rule, Enaria suffered from Barbarian invasions, first from the Heruli, an Eastern Germanic tribe, and then again by the Ostrogoths from the Baltic regions and eventually became part of the Eastern Roman Empire.
It was during this period in the island's history that it was given another new name, and the one that still stands today - Ischia. The name is thought to be a derivative of the term "insula major" ("island par excellence" in English).
ischia - 5ad to 1500 - troubled times
Castello Aragonese, Ischia Ponte
Ischia again changed hands in 588 when the Byzantines handed it over to the Neopolitans. An unsettled period followed for the island with continued attacks from Barabarians and then latterly by the Saracens, most notably in 813 and 847 when they devastated the poor island.
The Neopolitans again wrestled control of the island to free it from the Saracens, and the island was controlled by the Neopolitans for around a further 200 years.
In 1004, Henry II of Germany occupied Ischia before the Norman - Roger II of Sicily conquered it in 1130. In 1135 and 1137 the island was attacked by the Pisans and it shortly afterwards came under the control of first the Suebi and then the Angevins.
The islanders rebelled in 1282, recognizing Peter III of Aragon, but the rebellion was short-lived as the Angevins re-conquered the island just a year later. In one of the most turbulent periods in Ischia's history, the forces of Aragon again conquered the island in 1284 before control switched to the Angevins once again after it was re-taken by Charles II of Anjou fifteen years later in 1299.
In 1228, Ischia was ravaged by a terrible earthquake but it wasn't long before an even bigger natural disaster was to hit. In 1300, perhaps as a delayed consequence of the earthquake, the island was engulfed by a volcanic eruption that resulted in the lives of more than 700 islanders being lost. A crater opened on the eastern side of Mount Epomeo and continued to erupt intermittently for several years to follow. It wasn't until 1305 that people began to return to the island and to rebuild it to its former state.
The 14th and 15th centuries saw Ischia involved in the struggles between the Durazzo and Angevin dynasties. In 1382 it was taken by Carlo Durazzo, re-conquered by Louis II of Anjou in 1385 and then again by Ladislus of Naples in 1386. In 1410 the fleet of Antipope John XXIII sacked Ischia before it was retaken by Ladislus a year later in 1411.
In 1422 Joan II gave Ischia to her adoptive son Alfonso V of Aragon, though when he fell into disgrace, she re-took it with the help of the Genoans in 1424. In 1438, Alfonso reoccupied Castello Aragonese, expelled all of the men from the castle and proclaimed it an Aragonese colony, marrying the wives and daughters of those he had expelled. It was at this time that Alfonso, keen to improve the fortifications of the castle, built the bridge that linked it to the rest of the island. That bridge still stands today and is one of the most iconic of Ischia's sights. Alfonso also created a customs office to collect duty on iron, salt and fish, helped to organise the public administration and also introduced game reserves in Panza and Testaccio, with hares, wild rabbits, pheasants, partridges and turtle-doves.
Alfonso died in 1458 and was succeeded by his son Ferdinando I. From the moment of his ascension, Ferdinando was beset by conspiracies from the Barons of Naples and his rival, Giovanni of Anjou who supported them. It was also at this time that the Italian coastline and its islands were the subject of raids from Turkish corsairs. On top of all of those problems, the governor of Ischia, Giovanni Toriglia, sacked Ischia's near-neighbour Procida. Ferdinando resolved to expel Toriglia from Ischia with the help of his captain, Alessandro Sforza. Toriglia, once driven out of Ischia then turned to piracy and beseiged the castle and ensured that Ferdinando I could not leave for several months. However, in 1465 after years of fighting, Ferdinando finally overcame Toriglia's corsairs, expelled them from the island's shores and stopped the conspiracy of the Neopolitan Barons.
Ferdinando I died in 1494, and was succeeded by his son, Alfonso II. Alfonso II abdicated and was in turn succeeded by his son, Ferdinando II. The liberal Ferdinando II decided to return all of the lands his predecessors had conquered to the Neoploitan Barons. Ferdinando's army then abandoned him, making him an easy target for Charles VIII who forced Ferdinando to take refuge in the castle. Ferdinando left after a month, leaving the island in the trusted hands of Captain Don Inaco d'Avalo, Marquis of Vasto.
The Neopolitans again wrestled control of the island to free it from the Saracens, and the island was controlled by the Neopolitans for around a further 200 years.
In 1004, Henry II of Germany occupied Ischia before the Norman - Roger II of Sicily conquered it in 1130. In 1135 and 1137 the island was attacked by the Pisans and it shortly afterwards came under the control of first the Suebi and then the Angevins.
The islanders rebelled in 1282, recognizing Peter III of Aragon, but the rebellion was short-lived as the Angevins re-conquered the island just a year later. In one of the most turbulent periods in Ischia's history, the forces of Aragon again conquered the island in 1284 before control switched to the Angevins once again after it was re-taken by Charles II of Anjou fifteen years later in 1299.
In 1228, Ischia was ravaged by a terrible earthquake but it wasn't long before an even bigger natural disaster was to hit. In 1300, perhaps as a delayed consequence of the earthquake, the island was engulfed by a volcanic eruption that resulted in the lives of more than 700 islanders being lost. A crater opened on the eastern side of Mount Epomeo and continued to erupt intermittently for several years to follow. It wasn't until 1305 that people began to return to the island and to rebuild it to its former state.
The 14th and 15th centuries saw Ischia involved in the struggles between the Durazzo and Angevin dynasties. In 1382 it was taken by Carlo Durazzo, re-conquered by Louis II of Anjou in 1385 and then again by Ladislus of Naples in 1386. In 1410 the fleet of Antipope John XXIII sacked Ischia before it was retaken by Ladislus a year later in 1411.
In 1422 Joan II gave Ischia to her adoptive son Alfonso V of Aragon, though when he fell into disgrace, she re-took it with the help of the Genoans in 1424. In 1438, Alfonso reoccupied Castello Aragonese, expelled all of the men from the castle and proclaimed it an Aragonese colony, marrying the wives and daughters of those he had expelled. It was at this time that Alfonso, keen to improve the fortifications of the castle, built the bridge that linked it to the rest of the island. That bridge still stands today and is one of the most iconic of Ischia's sights. Alfonso also created a customs office to collect duty on iron, salt and fish, helped to organise the public administration and also introduced game reserves in Panza and Testaccio, with hares, wild rabbits, pheasants, partridges and turtle-doves.
Alfonso died in 1458 and was succeeded by his son Ferdinando I. From the moment of his ascension, Ferdinando was beset by conspiracies from the Barons of Naples and his rival, Giovanni of Anjou who supported them. It was also at this time that the Italian coastline and its islands were the subject of raids from Turkish corsairs. On top of all of those problems, the governor of Ischia, Giovanni Toriglia, sacked Ischia's near-neighbour Procida. Ferdinando resolved to expel Toriglia from Ischia with the help of his captain, Alessandro Sforza. Toriglia, once driven out of Ischia then turned to piracy and beseiged the castle and ensured that Ferdinando I could not leave for several months. However, in 1465 after years of fighting, Ferdinando finally overcame Toriglia's corsairs, expelled them from the island's shores and stopped the conspiracy of the Neopolitan Barons.
Ferdinando I died in 1494, and was succeeded by his son, Alfonso II. Alfonso II abdicated and was in turn succeeded by his son, Ferdinando II. The liberal Ferdinando II decided to return all of the lands his predecessors had conquered to the Neoploitan Barons. Ferdinando's army then abandoned him, making him an easy target for Charles VIII who forced Ferdinando to take refuge in the castle. Ferdinando left after a month, leaving the island in the trusted hands of Captain Don Inaco d'Avalo, Marquis of Vasto.
Piracy and pestilence
Turkish Pirates
In 1503, after political wrangling between the French and the Spanish, the island was attacked by the French who destroyed homes and villages and executed everybody who lived there.
The French raid at the beginning of the 16th century was just the first of many as the island suffered devastation after devastation with raids from Greek and Turkish pirates. It was during this time that many of the towers that you can still see in Ischia such as the Torrione in Forio were built as a defence against these raids.
In 1655 the island was beset by yet another disaster, this time of a human kind. The great plague ripped through the island and almost completely wiped-out the whole population. The islanders were saved by what they described as a miracle as a sustained period of heavy storms washed the pestilence away.
The French raid at the beginning of the 16th century was just the first of many as the island suffered devastation after devastation with raids from Greek and Turkish pirates. It was during this time that many of the towers that you can still see in Ischia such as the Torrione in Forio were built as a defence against these raids.
In 1655 the island was beset by yet another disaster, this time of a human kind. The great plague ripped through the island and almost completely wiped-out the whole population. The islanders were saved by what they described as a miracle as a sustained period of heavy storms washed the pestilence away.
The Bourbons, risorgimento and modern day Ischia
Risorgimento
Ischia was conquered by the Bourbons in March 1734, who appointed a royal governor to be seated within the castle. However, by 1764, and after a period of political upheaval, the island was abandoned and left to vagrants and criminals.
In 1799, Ischia's islanders revolted as part of the short-lived "Republic of Naples" but their revolt was quickly put down by Commodore Thomas Troubridge under the command of Lord Nelson. Many of the rebels were hung in a square in neighbouring Procida which had also taken part in the uprising and it was from that point that the square was given its name which still stands today - Piazza dei Martiri (Martyr's Square).
Ischia was hit again by another natural disaster in 1825. This time, an earthquake shook the island and left Casamicciola and Lacco Ameno in a state of bricks and rubble.
In 1862 Ischia was annexed to the province of Naples, which due to the Risorgimento was now a part of the "Kingdom of Italy" and under the new administration, new schools were built on the island.
Partly in an attempt to gain favour with the islanders and partly to enjoy the famous thermal waters that he'd been told about, His Royal Highness Prince Oddone of Savoy visited Ischia and during his stay the island celebrated with parties and festivites and opened the gardens of the royal residency for the islanders to enjoy. From that moment until today, Ischia has been governed as part of the region of Campania with Naples at its centre.
In 1799, Ischia's islanders revolted as part of the short-lived "Republic of Naples" but their revolt was quickly put down by Commodore Thomas Troubridge under the command of Lord Nelson. Many of the rebels were hung in a square in neighbouring Procida which had also taken part in the uprising and it was from that point that the square was given its name which still stands today - Piazza dei Martiri (Martyr's Square).
Ischia was hit again by another natural disaster in 1825. This time, an earthquake shook the island and left Casamicciola and Lacco Ameno in a state of bricks and rubble.
In 1862 Ischia was annexed to the province of Naples, which due to the Risorgimento was now a part of the "Kingdom of Italy" and under the new administration, new schools were built on the island.
Partly in an attempt to gain favour with the islanders and partly to enjoy the famous thermal waters that he'd been told about, His Royal Highness Prince Oddone of Savoy visited Ischia and during his stay the island celebrated with parties and festivites and opened the gardens of the royal residency for the islanders to enjoy. From that moment until today, Ischia has been governed as part of the region of Campania with Naples at its centre.
The creation of modern day ischia
Hotel La Regina Isabella, Lacco Ameno
In the early 1950’s, a successful publisher by the name of Angelo Rizzoli, first visited the tiny fishing village of Lacco Ameno in Ischia. Rizzoli was quickly enamoured by the charms of Ischia which was in those days, underdeveloped and relied heavily on its fishing and agriculture in order to survive. The visionary Rizzoli embarked on an ambitious project to transform the beautiful yet sleepy island in to a chic holiday destination for celebrities of the day from the world of finance, politics and most notably, the world of cinema.
Rizzoli laid the foundations for modern-day Ischia’s tourist industry by building a hospital (Ospedale Rizzoli), hotels and thermal spas on the island but it was his work in the movies with his production company “Cinriz” that inspired film-makers to follow in his footsteps and to become smitten with Ischia’s natural charms and beauty.
Angelo Rizzoli is a figure much-revered in Ischia, even to this today, as the patriarch who nurtured the island towards its modern-day standing. Rizzoli's presence on the island can still be felt by paying a visit to his former home which has now become the Villa Arbusto Museum in Lacco Ameno which exhibits a combination of ancient Greek artefacts such as Nestor's Cup, as well as photos and news-clippings from Rizzoli's days as a film-maker on the island.
The Ischia you see today is described by many as a paradise with its abundance of natural beauty, its beaches, its thermal spas and incredible views of the gulf of Naples, but as you're sipping on that cocktail while lying on the beach, cast a thought or two towards the drama that has unfolded over the years on this small island with a big history.....
Dion Protani
Ischia Review
Rizzoli laid the foundations for modern-day Ischia’s tourist industry by building a hospital (Ospedale Rizzoli), hotels and thermal spas on the island but it was his work in the movies with his production company “Cinriz” that inspired film-makers to follow in his footsteps and to become smitten with Ischia’s natural charms and beauty.
Angelo Rizzoli is a figure much-revered in Ischia, even to this today, as the patriarch who nurtured the island towards its modern-day standing. Rizzoli's presence on the island can still be felt by paying a visit to his former home which has now become the Villa Arbusto Museum in Lacco Ameno which exhibits a combination of ancient Greek artefacts such as Nestor's Cup, as well as photos and news-clippings from Rizzoli's days as a film-maker on the island.
The Ischia you see today is described by many as a paradise with its abundance of natural beauty, its beaches, its thermal spas and incredible views of the gulf of Naples, but as you're sipping on that cocktail while lying on the beach, cast a thought or two towards the drama that has unfolded over the years on this small island with a big history.....
Dion Protani
Ischia Review
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