Via Baiola 129

80075 Forio d'Ischia (NA)

tel/fax: +39 081998426

Email: villaolivia@libero.it

 
 
Ischia Island Churches Museums Monuments And More. ..
 

The "La Mortella" garden: This park is located at Forio d’Ischia and was originally the property of the English composer William Walton, who lived in the Villa next door with his wife. The composer, arrived on the island in 1946, planting wonderful tropical and Mediterranean plants, some of which have now reached amazing proportions.

Villa La Colombaia - The Villa, surrounded by a superb park, was the residence of the movie director Luchino Visconti. It is now the seat of the cultural Institution dedicated to Visconti, which is involved in cultural activities promotion such as music, cinema, theatre, art exhibitions, work-shops, cinema reviews. There is a museum dedicated to Luchino Visconti will. The Villa and the the Park are accessible to public visits.

The Sorgeto bay is rich in hot thermal springs in the Mediterranean Sea where one can bathe in the sea, even in Winter. In some places, the sea is so hot that it would be possible to boil eggs and potatoes. And more: if a turfacean stone is scratched, a mud can be obtained which can be used for making a beauty musk for the face.

Faiano Pine Forest
The island’s largest pine forest is located in the borough of Barano, an ideal place for an afternoon trip amidst nature. This fresh, regenerating oasis allows you to walk in the shade of the pine trees, the chestnut trees and oak trees that are interspersed with the characteristic Mediterranean perfumed trees and masses of lava rock that make the whole scene a magical, mysterious one.

The Monte Epomeo
This is the island’s highest mountain. It was once an active volcano, that shook quiet Ischia life several times with its violent eruptions. Luxurious vines and fruit trees now grow on its fertile soil. If you want to climb Epomeo, you can go up to a certain point in your car on an asphalt road, and then continue on foot for about 3 km. You will realize it was worth it when you reach the top: The view is amazing and you can see the church of San Nicola built into the mountain’s green tufa rock as well as the panorama spread out before you.

The Thermal Spas
Ischia’s thermal spas tradition goes back a long way: some bas-relief works are kept in the National Archeological Museum in Lacco Ameno that date back to the Roman Empire, which are proof of the fact that the water spilling from the island’s springs was used to cure various illnesses at that time too. If you want to get psychologically-physically fit again, we recommend you take a dip in one of the thermal pools in Ischia spa hotels and then choose personalized treatments depending on your needs: thermal mud packs, massages or inhaling thermal vapors – these are all perfect cures for respiratory problems. If instead you are searching for direct contact with nature, you can try one of the natural pools on Ischia, where you can swim in thermal water mixed with sea water.

The "Fungo" (mushroom rock) at Lacco Ameno
In the thermal spa resort of Lacco Ameno, which is the smallest one on the island, there is an interesting geological phenomenon that is joined to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. It is a block of tufa rock 10 meters high that has taken on the shape of a mushroom through years and years of being eroded away by the water that laps against it.

The Castello Aragonese (Ischia Ponte): - 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.

Guevara Tower - Ischia Ponte  - The tower represents as well as the Castle one of the best known symbols of the island. It is called Guevara or Michelangelo’s Tower and is rising in front of the Castle, surrounded by a lawn and facing Sant’Anna rocks. The tower has been rebuilt on the ruins of an ancient fortress: it is likely one of the defence towers built from the XV century to protect the Castle islet ant the coast against enemies’raids. The tower derives its name from the Dukes of Guevara who were the ownwers since the beginning of 1800. Its second name derives from a groundless legend which tells that the world famous artist Michelangelo, who was a friend of the poet Vittoria Colonna, stayed in the tower when he was visiting the island. The tower is nowadays used as arts exhibition centre.

Il Torrione - Forio - Many towers have been built in the past along Ischia coastline to get better sight of the sea around the island . Since the IX century, they used to be built in order to defend the island against raids of pirates. One of those tower, called “Torrione” still now existing, is located in Forio, nearby the harbour. It was built in 1480, has two floors: the ground floor had not access from outside and was used as weapons and munitions storage, there was also a rain-water tank; on the upper floor there was the Garisson’s accommodation (about 10 people) led by a “torriere” that had the task of promptly taking sight of any enemy ship and sounding the alarm. On the top, there was a terrace provided with four cannons. Historians notice that many similar towers were built in Forio until the XVIII century, although many of them were used as private residence of noble families. 16 similar fotresses have been counted in all between 1480 and 1700, plus five more towers built in the district of Panza, some with a squarred base and others with a circular base. Many of these towers can be observed still now and are mainly private houses. The “Torrione”, after it had been restored, became a municipal Museum, on the lower floor, while the upper floor was the house of the artist Giovanni Maltese from Forio and is now an art gallery hosting his pictures and sculptures collection.

A.Rizzoli Museum The Angelo Rizzoli Museum is located in Villa Arbusto and collects a picture gallery about Angelo Rizzoli’s stay on the island of Ischia. He was used to stay in Lacco Ameno where he promoted the restructuring of the ancient Santa Restituta baths and sponsored the construction of a series of big luxury hotels which became since then the much loved destination for cinema stars and international jet-set in 50ies and 60ies.

Pithecusae Museum - Lacco Ameno - The Pithecusae Archaeological Museum is located at the main building of Villa Arbusto, in Lacco Ameno. The Villa was built in 1785 by Don Carlo Acquaviva, Duke of Atri, in the same place where was once a farm called “dell’arbusto” (“arbusto” means “ shrub” , in this case the reference is to a particular plant growing in the garden surrounding the building). The Villa had many owners , until 1952, when it was purchased by the publisher and movie producer Angelo Rizzoli who sponsored the reconstruction of the ancient thermal bath, the construction of some big hotels and the restoration of Piazza Restituta in the town centre of Lacco Ameno. Villa Arbusto is not only the seat of the Pithecusae Museum, but has a splendid garden, open to the public. In the Museum there are many archaeological findings dating back from the Prehistory to the Romans Age. On the ground floor there is the a Geological section , which shows how the presence of the volcano affected life on the island.

The Soccorso's church - Forio - It is devoted to "Santa Maria della neve" (Saint Maria of the snow), and it was built on a steeply promontory that take its name. As the "Torrione" it is the symbol of the town of Forio and it is one of the most original architecture structues of the Island of Ischia. The Soccorso was founded as an augustinian convent on about 1350 but it was suppressed on 1653, anyway its actual form go up since the 1864. The churh is accessible by 20 steps of piperno, then there is a little atrium with 5 crosses of pipernio too. This church is world famous not only for its position but specially for its singular facade, white and adorned by precious '700's majolicas representing saints and scenes of the Passion of Christ. The Soccorso's style is very original, it reassumes some architectures as greek-byzantine, moorish and mediterranian in harmonic shapes. The inside is very interesting becouse of the many types of volta. In the left chapel there is a thaumaturgical cross, a sculpture of catalan inspiration, surely made on the sec. XVI. Closed to this cross there are 2 marble medals, they was found in a medieval sarcophagus that was placed in the castel of the antique cathedral of Ischia. This church retains various arts as a shovel made by Cesare Calise that represents Saint Augustine, and a small basin of pipernio dated sec. IX-X. The 5 may 2002 Pope John Paul II during Pastoral Visit Meet with youth in a square adjacent to the church of Our Lady Help of Christians.

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 Farming 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.