Few names have as much romantic associations as the “Beautiful Isle of Capri”, a byword for beauty and luxury since Roman Times. Long a hang-out of the rich and famous, who own sumptuous villas with arresting views, or who anchor their purring yachts in the Marina Grande, Capri has fixed itself in the collective imagination as a place where one might set foot for a few hours, but never settle; a place one can see but never really touch; a bit out of reach unless one has money or power. And yet, beneath the glitz, is a charming Island, with a storied history, where one can spend a day (or two or three!) and come away well-sunned, all appetites sated and the soul re-invigorated. But...in summer, Capri is swarmed by tourists, and the locals are in full "tourist" mode - professionally friendly but detached. Visit Capri in the off-season if you can.
The approach by sea whets the sense of anticipation whether you go by ferry or launch from Naples or Sorrento along the Bay of Naples overlooked by the brooding precence of Mount Vesuvius or along the chequered Amalfi Coast. Here, braced by the salt air a wondrous vista unfolds of deep eroded ravines, villages tucked into the clefts for shelter and defence, Saracen watch towers and implausibly steep terraces groaning with the heavy lemon fruits of Amalfi which make the famous Limoncello. Here we can be in awe of the spectacular coast as we head towards Capri and the Isola Gallo Lungo, once the home of Rudolf Nuryevev but in antiquity these were the islands (Sirenum scopuli; three small rocky islands) where, according to the Greek poet Homer, Ulysses was enticed and held captive by the mystical song of the Sirens. Visitors will still be seduced by the Sirens and the Amalfi Coast today.
"You will come first of all to the Sirens, who are enchanters
of all mankind and whoever comes their way; and that man
who unsuspecting approaches them, and listens to the Sirens
singing, has no prospect of coming home and delighting
his wife and little children as they stand about him in greeting,
but the Sirens by the melody of their singing enchant him."
Homer, (Odyssey XII, 39).
Then Capri comes into view, a mysterious prescence in the ocean with a definite sculptural quality which is both enticicing and mysterious, surrounded by Cliffs and sea rocks with the two (originally) fortified towns of Capri and Anacapri on the heights at the centre to protect them from the frequent visitations of Barbary Corsairs and others. And then at the end of the island facing towards the Bay of Naples you can envision the palace from which the Emperor Tiberius Caesar ran the empire which stretched from the atlantic Ocean to the Arabian desert, from the Pillars of Hercules to Judea. Here on this island in the centre of the sea which they named “Mare Mediteranea” – The Middle Sea where one man ruled from a palace named after their greatest deity Jupiter, the “Villa Jovis.” It was 2,000 years ago the largest house in the world and if it was still standing today it would still have that title. But to our modern mindset Capri was a vision of romantic escapism as epitomised by the song made famous in the 30’s by island resident Gracie Fields;
“Twas on the Isle of Capri that I found her,
Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree,
Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming 'round her,
Where we met on the Isle of Capri.”
Not to mention Noël Coward’s jolly ditty about the matronly English widow "who discovered in the nick of time that life was for living".
“Just for fun, three young men
Bowed low to Mrs Wentworth- Brewster
Said "Scusi", and abruptly goosed her,
Then there was quite a scene,
Her family in floods of tears cried, "Leave these men, Mama"
She said, "They're just high-spirited, like all Italians are"
And most of them have a great deal more to offer than Papa
In a bar on the Piccola Marina “
Capri Town
Capri is an island which some people love and some people hate. Those against the island are generally those who arrive for a daytrip, and find an expensive commercialised destination crammed to bursting with other daytrippers. Others, however, love the combination of island simplicity, natural beauty and busy glitz. And if you stay overnight, you'll find a different Capri. After the last daytrippers leave, a kind of exclusive peace settles over the island as those who are privileged to be staying overnight emerge for their evening passeggiata, or to sip drinks on the famous little square, the Piazzetta. The principal Capri tourist attraction is the island itself; its views, its rocky seashores and its scenic charm. There is plenty of good walking - or strolling - to be done as you explore the island.
Top scenic panoramas include views of the Bay of Naples, the Faraglioni Rocks and the Gardens of Augustus. From the mid-19th century onwards, following the “rediscovery” of the Blue Grotto, Italian and foreign visitors flocked to the island, attracted by the climate, the inhabitants’ hospitality and the colours and magnetic atmosphere of the places. Artists, intellectuals, writers, exiles, eccentrics and wealthy visitors chose it as their permanent or seasonal residence, contributing to form the highly varied cosmopolitan international colony that has made the name of Capri famous throughout the world. Capri is a saddle-shaped island that sits about 7.5 kilometres from the tip of the Amalfi peninsula and 17 kilometres due south of Naples. Mount Tiberio rises to 334 meters at the eastern end, and Mount Solaro peaks at 589 meters on the western end. Marina Grande (big marina) sits on the north shore and Marina Piccola on the south, connected by a traversing ridge. The City of Capri clamours up the hillside around and behind the Marina Grande, and the town of Anacapri sits on a verdant plain on the western flank of Mount Solaro.
Marina Grande
There are two towns on Capri; Capri town itself, which is in the centre of the island, and is where most of the hotels are located, and Anacapri. Although the two towns are scarcely three miles apart, the centuries-old antagonism between the two sets of townsfolk endures. The Capresans no longer routinely refer to the Anacapresan women as faticatore e puttane ("drudges and whores") as they did only 50-odd years ago, but they still poke fun at the Anacapresan dialect. The Anacapresans, for their part, cling to the high ground both morally and literally, believing that even their air is superior.
Piazzeta, Capri Town
On either side of Carpri Town there are two ports, the Marina Grande (large port) and the Marina Piccola (little port). Ferries from Naples, Sorrento and Amalfi arrive at Marina Grande from where you have two choices. You can take the special short island buses which twist around the windy road to Anacapri or you can take the Funicula up to Capri Town. If you take the latter option the top station on the funicular is beside the centre of Capri Town, the Piazzetta, the pedestrian square from which all the island routes radiate. From the station on top you can also take the distinctive island buses to Anacapri, they join the route from the Marina Grande about a mile down the road. Now something else you need to know about Capri. In summer these are the only roads where traffic is allowed and then only buses and taxis. Everywhere else is pedestrianied with only electric golf carts and handcarts allowed. This adds greatly to the peace and quiteness of the island but makes intra island transport akward. The small buses are painfully crowded and the taxis are special stretched softops with three rows of seats which take 7 passengers but are eye wateringly expensive. But nothing is cheap on this island, a cappucino will cost 5 euro, a pasta 20 euro and the mainly 5 star and rather luxurious hotels are upwards of 300 euro a night.
Funicular Railway
For shopaholics, Capri town is a dream, with all the big designer names and expensive boutiques. Almost every Capri visitor makes the trip to the Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto. Like the island itself, it tends to split its visitors in two - those who find the blue-lit cave an unforgettable experience, and those who find the jostling boatsmen and extortionate prices a rip-off. A boat trip around the island, though, is a more rewarding experience. You can admire the coastline and the island's other grottoes in a leisurely fashion. In Capri Town, you find the Piazza Umberto I, more a courtyard than the usual expansive "main square". Around it is arrayed the Cathedral, the Bishop's residence which is now a municipal office building, the Torre dell'Orologio (bell tower) and a number of cafes, restaurants and shops.
From the Piazzetta the natural route is to head down the Via Tragara which is the most famous and best liked walking rote in Capri: along it there are many elegant villas. It ends with a panoramic terrace facing the Faraglioni Rocks (“I Faraglioni, the three enigmatic, pale-ochre limestone colossi”), the view of Capri known the world over. From Tragara's terrace you can enjoy also a wide view over island's southern side, featuring Marina Piccola, underneath the steep face of Mount Solaro, in the middle of which is found the enormous cavity of Grotta delle Felci (Grotto of the Ferns). The whole area called Tragara extends from Mount Tuoro's western slope to the plain of Occhio Marino (Sea Eye), situated behind the Charterhouse. Here also, overlooking the old Roman harbour you will find the Punta Tragara, where Churchill & Eisenhower first met. This former private villa, designed by Le Corbusier, stands above rocky cliffs at the southwest tip of the most desirable panorama on Capri. It is now a seriously 5 Star luxury hotel. It was here Eisenhower & Churchill met before the Allied invasion of mainland Italy at Salerno. Visiting Salerno today you may feel they did a fairly comprehensive job on bombarding the town
Faraglioni Rocks
Punta Tragara
On the way down there on the Via Tragara you first come to The Certosa of San Giacomo (Carthusian Monastery). It was founded in 1371 by Count Giacomo Arcucci, secretary to the Queen Giovanna I of Naples. This beautiful building is famous in its own right but the Carthusian Monastery is best known to visitors for the famous perfumes of Capri which are produced there based on the natural flora of the island.
Carthusian Monastery
Here you will also pass where Paolo Neruda lived in the beautiful “Casa di Arturo” belonging to Edwin Cerio, writer and engineer. This episode in his life is imortalised in the film “Il Positano” but obviously his exile was not as frugal or as isolated as depicted in the movie. The Chilean poet took the name of the murdered Czech socialist, Jan Neruda, as his nom de plume and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971. At just 19 years of age he published his first book: Crepuscolario. In 1927 he entered the diplomatic service. He lived through the experience of the Spanish civil war of ‘36-’37 which indelibly marked the poet’s soul. Pablo Neruda came to Capri in 1952 with his lover, the Chilean singer Matilde Urrutia. On the island During his period in Capri, Neruda’s collection of love poems “The Captain’s Verses” was published. He was the Chilean ambassador in Paris in 1973 when America engineered the coup which brought down the democraticaly elected government of Chile, killed the President Salvador Allende and installed the brutal dictatorshio of Augusto Pinochet. He died later that same year.
Il Poeta del Poppolo
Heading onwards you then come to the site of the Gardens of Augustus and Via Krupp, which were by the German magnate steel Alfred Krupp. His Villa Krupp is on the height above you and it is joined to the sea and the Marina Piccola by the beautiful winding Via Krupp. The road was built in 1902 and characteristically zig-zags its way to Marina Piccola. According to architect R. Pane, it proves "that even a road can be a work of art". The Gardens of Augustus are built on the site of a villa of the Emperor Ovctavian Augustus on the "Fondo Certosa" (Certosa Estate), which Krupp purchased from the monastery. The provide a relaxing waypoint and a beautiful viewpoint on this spectacular island coastline.
View from Gardens of Augustus
Via Krupp
Anacapri basks on the hill above Capri, and is a quieter, more 'normal' town. Apparently, and despite being inland, Anacapri was hit harder by invaders than Capri Town (another source of competitiveness). The Saracens dragged the menfolk off to sell as slaves, and raped the women, the consequences of which can still be seen today in the faintly Moorish features of many Anacapresans. Their "smouldering looks" and "wild beauty" were certainly appreciated by the visiting German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius in the 1850s, and his enthusiastic, not to say libidinous reports helped to fuel an invasion, this time peaceful, of northern Europeans. Anacapri became a colony of artists and writers, and still has a bohemian vibe, even if mass-produced tourist tat is far more in evidence than original art.
The best art in modern Anacapri is in the Villa San Michele, once the home of the Swedish doctor, philanthropist and ornithologist Axel Munthe, who crammed it with antiquities. The villa San Michele is located on the north-eastern side of 'Anacapri, 327 metres above sea level. Here was an ancient Roman imperial villa, whose ruins were preserved by Axel Munthe and are now to be found in the garden. In the area there were the remains of a medieval chapel later moved to its present position by Munthe himself. San Michele was Munthe's residence between 1896 and 1910. The fanciful architecture was meant as a perfect environment for the collections of its owner, and at the same time, served to enhance the beauty of the landscape. The buildings and the collections reflect a Romantic, Symbolist taste, typical of that century. Accommodation in Anacapri is generally cheaper, although you're still not far from the hub of things, and there is a regular bus service. From Anacapri you can take the chairlift up to the top of Monte Solare and enjoy the views before the trip back down (on foot if you're so inclined).
Blue Grotto
Capri started occupying an important role in the political and military matters of the Roman Empire when Ottaviano, not yet Augustus, landed here in 29 BC and, struck by the incredible beauty of the island, took it from Naples, in exchange for Ischia. After Ottaviano, the Emperor Tiberius resided on the island for a decade and it was from Capri that he managed the interests of the Empire. The presence of the two emperors on Capri notably influenced the island architecture and the development of the urban area. The advanced engineering and building capabilities of the Romans, resulted in the construction of the port, sophisticated drainage and water storage systems, farms, habitations, and the twelve Imperial villas listed in the nineteenth century by the native historian, Rosario Mangoni. Fine examples of the Roman period are Villa Jovis, Villa Palazzo a Mare and Villa Damecuta, whilst, in a much less evident form, one finds traces of the era in Villa Tragara, Villa d’Unghia Marina, Villa del Colle San Michele, Villa del Castiglione, Villa Truglio a Marina Grande, Villa di Aiano, Villa di Capo di Monte (now Villa San Michele), Villa di Timberino and Villa di Monticello in Anacapri. Tiberius built a series of villas at Capri, the most famous of which is the Villa Jovis, one of the best preserved Roman villas in Italy. In 27 CE, Tiberius permanently moved to Capri, running the Empire from there until his death in 37 CE. According to Suetonius, while staying on the island, Tiberius (accompanied by his grand-nephew and heir, Caligula) enjoyed imposing numerous cruelties and sexual perversions upon his slaves.
Villa Jovis
The most important of the island's twelve imperial villas, Villa Jovis was built in the First Century AD and discovered in the Eighteenth Century under the rule of Charles of Bourbon. Dominating the promontory that extends from Grotta Bianca Point to Caterola Point, the villa, which covers an area of 7000 square metres, towers over the valley looking out to Cesina. Originally built as a fortress, the centre of the villa housed a number of cisterns designed to collect rainwater, used both as drinking water and as a reservoir with which to supply the baths located to the south, along with an open portico. These baths were heated by braziers and divided into the traditional frigidarium, tepidarium and calidarium. The eastern side of the villa contained a number of reception rooms, while the northern side accommodated the imperial quarters. These were completely isolated from the rest of the building, but connected by ramps and stairways to the triclinium and loggia. The latter, based on a rectangular design 92 metres in length, was primarily designed for taking the air and admiring the breathtaking vista of the Gulf of Naples, stretching all the way from Ischia to Campanella Point.
In his Aeneid, Virgil states that the island had been populated by the Greek people of Teleboi, coming from the Ionian Islands. Strabo says that "in ancient times in Capri there were two towns, later reduced to one." (Geography, 5, 4, 9, 38). Tacitus records that there were twelve Imperial villas in Capri (or Capreae, as it was spelled in Latin). Ruins of one at Tragara could still be seen in the 19th century.
The etymology of the name “Capri” comes from tle Latin “capraeae” (goats), not from the Greek “kapros” (wild boar), even though numerous fossile remains of this animal have been found on the island. Inhabited since the Palaeolithic era, when it was joined to the mainland, the island was first Greek and later Roman. In the 7th century it was raided by the Saracens and in the centuries thate followed it was dominated by the Longobards, Normans, Anjouins, Aragonese and finally the Spanish. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the island came back into fashion, in unison with Naples’ period of great political and artistic pride, thanks to an active diocese and the privileges conferred on it first by the Spanish and later by the Bourbons.
Romantic Capri!
Grand Hotel Quisisana
Capri, in addition to being blessed with an incredible natural beauty, boasts a history which increases even further the appeal of the island. isitors to Capri are often surprised by the quantity and variety of walking routes on such a small island. Along these pathways, tourists can choose to immerse themselves in the authentic atmosphere of a coastal village, inhabited by fishermen and sailors; explore the marine caves; walk through masses of sheer rock and peer over precipices which drop dramatically into the sea; saunter through the patches of land cultivated by the country dwellers, planted with olive groves and orchards of lemon and orange trees; or stroll through the center of Capri with its otentatiously luxurious boutiques, elegant hotels, artists studios, churches, and the remains of Roman villas. One of the magical things about Capri is that, even in peak season in August, when the roads are crowded with tourists, one can always find a solitary spot in which to rest, or a hidden bay where to take a swim in the crystal clear waters.
The atmosphere here, due to Capri's seductive powers, is sophisticated and cosmopolitan. It has long been a hang-out for writers and artists, a few of the top order, but most, second-raters. Somerset Maugham wrote a short story, The Lotus Eaters, about the island. Today it is still a special place with beautiful hotels filled with the ghosts of famous former guests, superb views over the bewitching Bay of Naples, romantic and perfect Bellinis sipped on terraces by moonlight and an ability to elicit your gratitude as improbable amounts of euros are discretely removed from your wallet! Capri - it's a kind of luxury and it's the kind of luxury you should give yourself at least once in this life.
See also;
Caprese.
http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/06/caprese.html
Amalfi Coast.
http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/02/amalfi-coast.html
Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto
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