Ischia is the largest among the islands in the bay of Naples (Ischia, Capri, Procida, Vivara).
The island has a circumference of nearly 39 km, a surface of nearly 47 kmq, and a resident population that amounts to nearly 50.000 units.

The island shows a compact rounded shape (look at the small map) with a varied morphology. Dominated by the Monte Epomeo (789 mt asl) shows many other reliefs and hills, often separated by valleys and gullies that create a suggestive and sinuous landscape. The island 's periplus is about 39 km and its coasts are low on the sea -level, to the North, with small sized beaches; and more various to the south, where followed indentention and promontories, bays and little creeks, some of these reached only by the sea way.
On the island there aren't superficial water-courses, the hydromineral resources mainly concern plentiful thermomineral sources in existence all over the land. Those particular waters are one of the most important resources of the island, their beneficent characteristics permitted the development of thermal industry and touristic increase of the island.
The conformation of the island originated differents environments: on the northern reliefs there is a luxuriant vegetation, chestnut , holm-oak, oak-tree woods; on the southern side the low vegetation of the mediterranean maquis cover the slopes and the deep creeks that from the inner side leaning the pine-forests present on the east side into the Ischia and Casamicciola communes toward the sea typical and particular are.
The island is divided into six municipalities: Ischia, Casamicciola Terme, Lacco Ameno, Forio, Serrara Fontana and Barano, with about 50.000 inhabitants.

Ischia is the most important. Into the harbour area is the trading part of the town and another important area is that one around the "Castello Aragonese" which is called "Ischia Ponte", a picturesque ancient fisher's village. The evocative Ischia's harbour was originally the crater of a volcano now extinct and sunk which originated a lake. It remained a lake until 1854 when the King Ferdinand of Bourbon ordered to force a passage opening the harbour. In the area of Ischia happened the last volcanic event on the island: in 1301 from a crater opened in the Fiaiano's area and a lava flow run down to the sea, covering houses and fields, giving origin to the actual "Punta Molino". It was such a longue and violent phenomenon that the inhabitants left the isle for two years. Owing to this in 1853 the Bourbon realized a reafforestation of pine-wood forest in that area we can still admire today.
On the northen side is situated Forio where there are a lot of evocative areas of naturalistic interest. Its territory is particulary for wine industry: the 60% about of the island's wine production come from these areas. Near Forio we can find two wonderful beaches, Citara and Cava dell'isola, and also very important thermal sources in Citara and in the bay of Sorgeto, where it's possible to take a warm bath all year round.

Casamicciola Terme was famous and renowned in past times as a thermal area for its specially pure and beneficient waters. During 1800 Casamicciola's thermal baths were frequented by a lot of very important people. This town is famous also becauseit was struck by many disasters like a terrible earthquake in 1883, in which there were enormous damages and almost 1/3 of the inhabitants of the island died . Nowadays Casamicciola is still the island's place with the highest seismic danger place of the island, because it's situated on a deep underground fault. Behind the centre of the town there are pine forest and chestnut woods and pathways to climb up the Epomeo mountain.
In Lacco Ameno there are also important thermal baths (terme Rizzoli); this town has an ancient past, infact there are found the remains of greek civilization which dates back to year 757 b.C.. During the sixties when Prof. Bruchner, an archeologist, which conducted the excavations the rest of a necropolis and many evidences of the Eubei's presence, ancient greek colonizing people were found. Moreover there is a little museumin which is possible to visit the crypt of S. Restituta's Church, where are kept secret catacombs and remains of an old palaeocristian cathedral.
Serrara Fontana and Barano are situated above the sea-level. Their characteristic is a typical mountain territory where a lot of pathways leading to the top of Epomeo Mountain start. These towns have nevertheless their coast areas: the evocative little village of Sant'Angelo, where it's possible to see the ever active fumaroles; Maronti beach, the largest of the island with the creeks of Cava Scura and Olmitello.

HISTORICAL HINTS

From ancient times Ischia was considered a very interesting area both for its good position into the Mediterranean sea and for the richness of its territory. During the VII century b.C the island was colonized from the Greek, the Eubei population, and they called it Phitekoussai. From here they maked the coast conquest and they founded Cuma and Neapolis. They settled down in Lacco Ameno, in Montevico area. Actually we know with security their main activity was the pottery production and its trade.
Afterwards in about 500 b.C. the island was conquered from the Syracusans which chased the hellenic people. Phitekussai was destroyed and the island suffered several dominations, among which the Roman who gave it to the Neapolitan kingdom exchanging it with Capri. Under the Roman colonization it was called Aenaria and its centre became the Cartaromana's area in Ischia Ponte, unfortunately, after a rapid ground settling it was flooded with the sea water. From the IXth century started the terrible invasions of Saracens, the raids of the Turkish and the Africans, which lasted seven hundred years. On this period the people of the gulf built outpost, towers and a signalling visual system from the Sorrento peninsula to Cuma warning the ennemies arrival.
The island's inhabitants were obliged to escape towards the island's interior , where they built some shelters on tufa rocks which can be see still nowadays. On the following periods Ischia was dominated by different population: the Normans, the Swabians, the Angevins and at last the Aragoneses whom with the Avalos' family gave to the isle a quiet period and a renowed economy. Their domination became gradually a vexation, so on 1729 when Michelangelo d'Avalos died there was an authentic rebellion. The result was a direct administration of the sovereign house of Naples and it so remained until the unity of Italy.

CHURCHES, MUSEUMS AND MONUMENTS

The island’s artistic and architectural heritage: Mediterranean churches and fortified castles...

Church of Soccorso
This tiny white-washed church is located in a truly spectacular position: in the square on the Punta del Soccorso in Forio, that looks out onto the crystal clear sea. A typically Mediterranean site of astounding beauty.

Sanctuary of Santa Restituita
The original structure of the church in Lacco Armeno dates back to the Paleo-Christian era (4-5th century A.D.): The current basilica was built around the year 1000 on top of the remains of the first building. Over the years it has undergone some changes. the wooden statues of Santa Restituita, dating back to 1500, that is kept in the church together with some of the saint’s remains, is worthy of note.
The Archaeological Museum of Pithecusae
This interesting museum is housed in the wonderful Villa Arbusto in the borough of Lacco Ameno. It is the home of archeological findings that bear witness to the island’s history from prehistoric times to the Roman era. The most important object is the famous Coppa di Nestore (Nestore’s Cup) that is mentioned in some verses of Homer’s Iliad.

The Sea Museum (Museo del Mare)
This museum is in Ischia Ponte and is housed in Palazzo dell’Orologio. It the home for an important collection of old nautical instruments and fishing equipment, and also models of boats, sailing ships and fishing boats that sailed from the island’s ports.
The Farmer’s Museum (Museo del Contadino)
This interesting museum is in Panza surrounding Forio, housed in the D’Ambra wines factory. You can relive the real farmer’s life on the island by looking at the objects in the museum: from original equipment that the farmers used on the land to the wine amphora (terracotta containers) of all sizes.

Castello Aragonese
Castello Aragonese is one of the most striking monuments on the island. It stands on a small island near Ischia Ponte. The castle can be reached over a stone bridge. The small island is about 113 meters high and the climb can be made on an old mule track or by using a modern elevator that was installed in the seventies. The castle was built in 1441 by Alfonso D’Aragona on top of the ruins of an old fort that dated back to 474 B.C. This fortified castle was used to protect Ischia’s population from pirate attacks. In the 16th century, almost 1900 families lived in the castle, as well as some religious orders who lived in the 13 churches inside the fortress. The charming place inspired Ariosto to write the poem about Orlando Furioso.

EATING AND DRINKING

Ischia’s cuisine is full of special dishes that are prepared with typical regional and island products. Before the boom in the 1960s, Ischia was a rather poor island, with an economy that was based on fishing and agriculture. The island’s older inhabitants remember eating bread and onions in this period, or “o ppane sotto ‘e fasule”, stale bread softened with the sauce made from cooking beans. Another typical characteristic dish that we can still find in the restaurants of Ischia, is pesce all’acqua pazza, which was once prepared with the leftovers of fish that were stuck to the hook and cooked with garlic, chili pepper and parsley, and which is now prepared with the better parts of anchovies, sardines and mackerel. However, the island’s most famous typical dish is coniglio all’ischitana, cooked with a ditch rabbit, i.e. a rabbit that is bred in a ditch by the farmers until it is full size and that is then cooked in white wine, garlic, cherry tomatoes and chili pepper and served on Sundays. This tasty recipe is so popular that the ancient technique of breeding the rabbits has been maintained to guarantee the high quality of the meat.
Travelers with a love for food who visit Ischia will not be disappointed by the “autarchic” cuisine where the dishes are full of fresh, genuine and strictly local ingredients.
The island’s fertile soil has also produced high quality wines for centuries, mainly from around Mount Epomeo, where the famous wines of Ischia are produced:
from the white wines of Forastera and Biancolella, to the red wines, Piedirosso and Guarnaccia.
Another of the island’s specialties is honey, especially from the borough of Forio. It is made with the aroma of citrus fruits or millefiori essence and is made by hand by the island’s bee-keepers.

THE CLIMATE

Ischia's climate has the dry heat typical of the Mediterranean. There is an annual rainfall of about 985mm. The orographical conformation of the island means that some areas get more rain than others; there is more rainfall in the north east. The moderate height of Epomeo is not sufficient to obstruct the free passage of air currents, so it only affects the rising winds coming from the sea onto the island, while the process of condensation reaches its full potential right above the island itself. The cloud and vapour carrier winds are Mediterranean ones, namely the scirocco (south-easterly) and libeccio (south-westerly), which are common in the spring.
Other frequent weather phenomena are the spring and occasional frosts and the mistral breezes in the summer months. The presence of the sea brings positive effects - but also negative ones such as the brackish winds which weaken with height and distance.